The Finke River: A Survivor from the Age of Dinosaurs

Australia is home to the world's oldest river, the Finke River. It's not just old; it's ancient, dating back 300 to 400 million years. That's right, it's older than dinosaurs! The Finke River flows through the Northern Territory and South Australia. But it's not a constant flow. Due to the dry climate, it's more like a series of water holes most of the year. Scientists have used different methods to figure out its age. They looked at rocks, weather patterns, and even radioactive elements. All signs point to this river being around since the Devonian or Carboniferous periods.One big clue is how the river cuts through tough rocks. Normally, rivers flow around hard rocks. But the Finke doesn't. It flows right through them. This shows that the river was there before the mountains formed. As the land pushed up, the river kept cutting down. So, why has the Finke lasted so long? Australia's stable landscape has a lot to do with it. There hasn't been much tectonic activity for millions of years. This stability has let the river develop and grow without major disruptions. But what about the future? It's hard to say. Rivers can dry up for many reasons. Climate change and human water use are big factors. As the world gets warmer and drier, rivers like the Finke could be at risk. If the Finke ever dries up, the New River in the U. S. might take its place as the oldest. It's about 300 million years old.