Finke River Recognised as the World’s Oldest Flowing River

Rivers have shaped human civilization for thousands of years, but some rivers tell stories far older than humanity itself. Scientists now believe that the Finke River, flowing through the arid heart of Australia, is the oldest river system still surviving on Earth. Geological evidence suggests it has been following the same course for hundreds of millions of years.

Why in News?

Recent geological studies have reaffirmed that the Finke River of Australia is likely the world’s oldest continuously surviving river system, with origins dating back 300-400 million years, far earlier than most known rivers on Earth.

Ancient Origins in Central Australia

• The Finke River, known as Larapinta to the Indigenous Arrernte people, began flowing long before dinosaurs appeared on Earth.
• It stretches for about 640 kilometres, traversing the Northern Territory and parts of South Australia.
• Its course cuts across some of the oldest rock formations on the planet, making it a natural archive of Earth’s geological evolution and climate history.

An Unusual River in a Desert Landscape

• Unlike rivers such as the Ganga or Nile, the Finke River does not flow year-round.
• For most of the year, it exists as isolated waterholes scattered across a desert landscape.
• Only after intense rainfall does it briefly transform into a connected river.
• Despite this intermittent flow, scientists confirm that the waterholes and dry channels together represent one continuous ancient river system, maintaining its identity across geological time.

Geological Evidence Behind Its Great Age

• The strongest evidence of the Finke’s antiquity lies in its path through the MacDonnell Ranges.
• Instead of flowing around these hard quartzite mountains, the river cuts directly through them, forming deep gorges.
• This is explained by a geological phenomenon called antecedence, where a river is older than the surrounding mountains.
• As the ranges slowly uplifted due to tectonic activity, the Finke maintained its original course by continuously eroding downward.

Why the Finke River Survived

• Many ancient rivers disappeared due to climate change, erosion, or shifting landforms.
• The Finke survived because of its deeply entrenched channel and the slow geological changes in central Australia.
• Scientific analysis of erosion patterns, sediments, and radioactive isotope dating shows that the river system is at least as old as the terrain it crosses, making it a rare survivor from deep geological time.

Background of Antecedent Rivers

• An antecedent river is one that existed before the uplift of mountains or plateaus and maintained its course by eroding downward as the land rose.
• Such rivers are extremely rare today.
• The Finke River is considered one of the best examples of an antecedent river system in the world.

Key Summary at a Glance

Question

Q. The Finke River, recently in news, is located in which country?

A. South Africa
B. Chile
C. Australia
D. Peru