# Rivers flowing both directions at the same time....

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rivers-flowing-both-directions-at-the-same-time/133721>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 24, 2002, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rivers-flowing-both-directions-at-the-same-time/133721 "2002-10-24T17:56:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Weeks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbce88/32.png) [@Weeks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weeks)\
**Post date:** [October 24, 2002, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rivers-flowing-both-directions-at-the-same-time/133721/1 "2002-10-24T17:56:30Z")

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Not to hijack [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=140909) thread, I wonder if a river can support salt water flowing one way under fresh water flowing the other way.  
(high tide in conjunction with heavy rains)

What would this be called?

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**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\
**Post date:** [October 24, 2002, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rivers-flowing-both-directions-at-the-same-time/133721/2 "2002-10-24T19:30:44Z")

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Is [this](http://bellnetweb.brc.tamus.edu/mixing.htm) the kind of thing you’re asking about, **Weeks**?

Or are you just asking what salt water mixed with fresh water is called? I’ve always heard the term [brackish](http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=brackish) used.

Hope this helps.

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**Author:** ![Weeks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbce88/32.png) [@Weeks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weeks)\
**Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rivers-flowing-both-directions-at-the-same-time/133721/3 "2002-10-25T11:07:06Z")

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Well, that first link got really close to the answer. I guess it’s saying that if the forces are equal the mixing rate will be great, but what I wanted to know is: Can you measure a distinct difference between the direction of travel of water at the bottom of a river and of water at the top of a river?

Granted, the border between the two would be a mess but I’m looking at the top and bottom, appearantly.

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**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\
**Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rivers-flowing-both-directions-at-the-same-time/133721/4 "2002-10-25T11:51:38Z")

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I don’t think so. Now, th surface can be blown back by the wind, but rivers, by their nature, have to travel downstream, save obstructions. There could be some temporary exceptions.

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**Author:** ![Weeks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbce88/32.png) [@Weeks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weeks)\
**Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rivers-flowing-both-directions-at-the-same-time/133721/5 "2002-10-25T21:21:55Z")

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:smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack:

Look, if you don’t even bother to read my links, how can you possibly make an informed and reasoned response?

Rivers run “backwards” all the time!

I wasn’t even talking about reversing the flow of the river, I was talking about slipping a little salt water underneath it the other way!

:smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: