Why does water flow from North to South (in Northern Hemi.)?

Question

The Mississippi flows from Minnesota to Louisiana. Is LA "downhill" from MN? The Gulf Stream is a northern moving flow. Why "uphill"?

Stop with the exceptions, I know there are exceptions -- they don't explain the norm.

Thanks Grant F

Answer 1

It doesn't. The Nile river is in the Northern Hemisphere and it flows from south to north. LA is "downhill" from MN in the sense that it's elevation with respect to the geoid is less. The geoid is the equipotential gravity surface (where the effect of gravity is the same) that is usually what is considered water level. This means that it isn't "uphill" if it's water level.

The gulf stream is northern flowing because it is an ocean current being driven by differences in water temperature. However on the eastern side of the ocean (in northern hemisphere), such as the west coast of the US, the current is flowing from north to south.

Answer 2

Water flows form high elevation to low elevation. Minnesota is at a higher elevation than Mississippi thus the Mississippi River goes from Minnesota to Mississippi

Answer 3

Rivers in Siberia flow from south to north, into the Arctic Ocean, so do most rivers in Northern Europe.

Siberia: Ob, Irtysh, Om, Angora, Yenisey and Lena to name a few.

No Europe: Rhine, Vistula, Daugav, Elbe and Seine.

Answer 4

St. Lawrence Seaway in Canada flows north. North is downhill there.

Answer 5

I thought it flowed "downhill" in both hemispheres

Answer 6

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