<h2>Drainage basin or drainage system</h2>
<p>Drainage basin are defined by drainage pattern, which is controlled by the underlying geology and landform.</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/WRiLF.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/WRiLF.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>more on what creates the pattern.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.wvca.us/envirothon/pdf/Drainage%20Patterns.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.wvca.us/envirothon/pdf/Drainage%20Patterns.pdf</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-07-03T16:42:17.167Z
2021-07-03T16:42:17.167Z
John
<p>Think about this backwards: instead of thinking that civilizations happen to live in specific watersheds, consider that it is the mountains that force them to live in these separate watersheds. Rivers, like many early cultures, are &quot;orographically constrained&quot;, topography will dictate how separate and distinct they become over time from one another.</p>
<p>Sure, other factors come into play, like distance, weather, and food availability, but mountains, aka &quot;orographic barriers&quot; require significant material and energy resources to overcome. Even low hills present a challenge to a calorie-scarce community. An &quot;orographic barrier&quot; is an &quot;energy barrier&quot; in many different ways.</p>

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2021-07-03T06:26:02.193Z
2021-07-03T06:26:02.193Z
Knob Scratcher
<p>I am studying some maps of prehistoric cultures in North America, noting the relationship between their villages and the rivers they are near. I notice each civilization seems grouped around rivers that are constrained to a certain area. E.g. culture X has villages all along river A, river B, and river C. Culture Y, just over some mountain range, has villages all along river D and E, but no villages near the river used by culture X. Similarly, Culture Z isn't too far away, yet it has its own rivers entirely, having villages at the headwaters and all along its length.</p>
<p>I'm trying to find if there is some geological connection between the rivers, e.g. A, B, and C are part of the same &quot;watershed&quot; or maybe same &quot;river valley&quot;, &quot;river system&quot; or something, but these terms don't seem to fit my searches. The term &quot;river valley&quot; seems closest, but I can't find people using this term in the same context, and also the rivers are 100-200 miles long, hardly seems a valley can be that big. These are rivers flowing into &quot;dips&quot; that are easily 100 miles wide.</p>
<p>Is there any common term and way a geologist will find a connection between several rivers sharing a specific area?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-07-03T08:23:03.640Z
Drainage basin? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drainage_basin "Other terms for drainage basin are catchment area, catchment basin, drainage area, river basin, water basin, and impluvium. In North America, the term watershed is commonly used to mean a drainage basin, though in other English-speaking countries, it is used only in its original sense, that of a drainage divide."
Jean-Marie Prival
<rivers><terminology>
What term to geologists use to refer to several rivers constrained to a particular area?
Village
# What term to geologists use to refer to several rivers constrained to a particular area?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-07-03)

I am studying some maps of prehistoric cultures in North America, noting the relationship between their villages and the rivers they are near. I notice each civilization seems grouped around rivers that are constrained to a certain area. E.g. culture X has villages all along river A, river B, and river C. Culture Y, just over some mountain range, has villages all along river D and E, but no villages near the river used by culture X. Similarly, Culture Z isn't too far away, yet it has its own rivers entirely, having villages at the headwaters and all along its length.

I'm trying to find if there is some geological connection between the rivers, e.g. A, B, and C are part of the same "watershed" or maybe same "river valley", "river system" or something, but these terms don't seem to fit my searches. The term "river valley" seems closest, but I can't find people using this term in the same context, and also the rivers are 100-200 miles long, hardly seems a valley can be that big. These are rivers flowing into "dips" that are easily 100 miles wide.

Is there any common term and way a geologist will find a connection between several rivers sharing a specific area?

**Tags:** rivers, terminology

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Drainage basin? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drainage_basin "Other terms for drainage basin are catchment area, catchment basin, drainage area, river basin, water basin, and impluvium. In North America, the term watershed is commonly used to mean a drainage basin, though in other English-speaking countries, it is used only in its original sense, that of a drainage divide."  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2021-07-03. Score: 2

## Drainage basin or drainage system

Drainage basin are defined by drainage pattern, which is controlled by the underlying geology and landform.

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/WRiLF.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/WRiLF.png)

more on what creates the pattern.

<https://www.wvca.us/envirothon/pdf/Drainage%20Patterns.pdf>


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### Answer by username_3 on 2021-07-03. Score: 1

Think about this backwards: instead of thinking that civilizations happen to live in specific watersheds, consider that it is the mountains that force them to live in these separate watersheds. Rivers, like many early cultures, are "orographically constrained", topography will dictate how separate and distinct they become over time from one another.

Sure, other factors come into play, like distance, weather, and food availability, but mountains, aka "orographic barriers" require significant material and energy resources to overcome. Even low hills present a challenge to a calorie-scarce community. An "orographic barrier" is an "energy barrier" in many different ways.


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