The Oldest River on Earth

Currently, there are thousands of rivers of various sizes in the world. The longest river is the Nile, while the Amazon is considered the most water-rich. Recently, scientists have determined that the oldest river on Earth is the Finke River in Australia. Its age is estimated to be around 300–400 million years.

The ancient Finke River originates from mountain springs and consists of several channels. Its length is 640 kilometers, flowing through Central and Southern Australia. Due to drought, the river often breaks into separate waterholes and frequently dries up during the year.

Scientists, based on geological data, analyzed the amount of radionuclides in sedimentary layers and rocks around the river. As a result, it was determined that the river formed during the Devonian (419–359 million years ago) or Carboniferous (359–299 million years ago) periods. The Finke River starts in the MacDonnell Ranges and ends in the Simpson Desert.

The river's long-term flow is explained by the tectonic stability of the region and the absence of glaciation. The Finke Plateau in Australia remained almost unchanged for an extremely long time, with no major tectonic activity for 100 million years. This allowed the river to persist and expand over millions of years.