Mountains as River Sources: How Peaks Feed the World's Waterways

Mountains are the birthplace of many of the planet's greatest rivers. Melting snow and glacial ice on high peaks feed headwater streams that coalesce into major river systems. The Nile, the world's longest river, originates in the mountains of Burundi and Rwanda. The Colorado River begins in the Rocky Mountains. The Himalayas give rise to the Ganges, Indus, and Brahmaputra. As water descends, it carves valleys, transports sediment, and sustains ecosystems and human civilizations downstream. Mountains thus function as the world's "water towers."