"Over the past 1.7 million years, the Yangtze River has been stealing water from the Yellow River, and the theft could worsen dangerously low water levels in the latter. The Yangtze and Yellow Rivers are among the longest in the world. They stretch thousands of miles across China and supply hundreds of millions of people with water."
"Researchers estimate, the Yellow River has lost some five billion square meters of water to the Yangtze every year on average over the long term. The findings, which were published last week in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, add critical insight to China's plans to combat water shortages caused by climate change and human overuse of the Yellow River."
"If you were to float down the Yangtze, you'd look up to steep gorges. But if you took a ride down the Yellow River, the Yangtze's sister river to the north, you'd see a more gradually inclining topography. Those geographic differences are evidence of a long-standing tug-of-war for water between the two rivers over millions of yearsand the Yangtze appears to be the clear winner."
The Yangtze River has been taking water from the Yellow River for about 1.7 million years, based on new research. The two rivers span thousands of miles across China and provide water for hundreds of millions of people. Researchers estimate that the Yellow River has lost roughly five billion square meters of water per year on average over the long term due to this diversion. The findings were published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface. Geographic differences in river topography indicate a long-running competition for water, with the Yangtze emerging as the dominant winner. The results inform efforts to address water shortages driven by climate change and human overuse of the Yellow River.
Read at www.scientificamerican.com
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