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Triple Divide Peak is a mountain in Montana’s Glacier National Park where a drop of water might stream into among 3 oceans: the Pacific, the Atlantic or the Arctic Ocean.

Other triple divides– likewise called “hydrological apexes” — exist on the planet, however Triple Divide Peak is the only put on Earth that connects 3 oceans

instead of 3 seas or a mix of seas and oceans. Some specialists challenge this.

Snowmelt from the peak can take a trip west through the Columbia River drain basin and wind up in the Pacific Ocean, or it can ride along the Missouri and Mississippi rivers and into the Atlantic, according to the National Forest ServiceMeltwater or raindrops landing on Triple Divide Peak can stream into Hudson Bay by means of the Saskatchewan River.The International Hydrographic Organization thinks about Hudson Bay to be part of the Arctic Ocean, so by that numeration, Triple Divide Peak feeds 3 different oceans.

The peak rests on North America’s Continental Divide, a fictional line that runs through the Rocky Mountains and separates significant river systems streaming to the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic oceans. Triple Divide Peak is among simply 2 hydrological peaks on the Continental Divide and throughout North America, the other one being Snow Dome in Canada.

Meltwater from Snow Dome can stream into the Pacific Ocean through the Columbia River, into the Arctic Ocean through the Mackenzie River or into Hudson Bay through the Nelson River. Some researchers argue that Hudson Bay belongs to the Atlantic Ocean, so in their viewSnow Dome is the only triple divide in the world that links 3 oceans. For them, water on Triple Divide Peak just streams into either the Pacific or the Atlantic Ocean.

Triple Divide Peak and Snow Dome likewise rest on other “great divides,” with these divides defining various watersheds. As the Continental Divide, Triple Divide Peak sits on the Laurentian Divide, which separates the Hudson Bay watershed to the north from the Gulf of Mexico watershed to the south. Snow Dome, on the other hand, rests on the Arctic Divide, which separates the Arctic Ocean watershed to the northwest from the Hudson Bay watershed to the southeast.

Discover more amazing locationswhere we highlight the wonderful history and science behind a few of the most significant landscapes in the world.

Sascha is a U.K.-based personnel author at Live Science. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Southampton in England and a master’s degree in science interaction from Imperial College London. Her work has actually appeared in The Guardian and the health site Zoe. Composing, she takes pleasure in playing tennis, bread-making and searching pre-owned stores for covert gems.

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