hydrographic

the map that divides the continent in two through its two large hydrographic basins

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Neither the intention to vote nor the football team nor of course the borders: Europe is divided from east to west and from north to south by an invisible line that divides the old continent in two to answer a question: where each and every one of them travels. the drops of rainwater that fall in Europe. Because each white line that crosses the map represents one of the many rivers that run through each and every state and its color reveals where it will end: the northern slope in blue includes the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea or the Baltic Sea and the southern slope in red, for the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea, the Adriatic Sea or the Caspian Sea. Although the line from the Strait of Gibraltar to the Ural Mountains and the distinction between the frigid open water masses of the north and the inland seas of the south is clear, the practical reality is intuitively more blurred: the difference between one destination and the other can be only a few meters in altitude in the Alps. This map displays the hydrographic basins of Europethat is, the geographical areas where all surface water converges towards the same drainage point, in this case the seas and oceans that surround the continent. That line is the great divide continental, in this case simplified compared to its most rigorous version to reduce it to the north and south slopes. The author of the map is the French cartographer Pierre Remonté from the source Natural Eartha public domain vector mapping project developed by the North American Cartographic Information Society (NACIS). A more exhaustive alternative to the continental divides in Europe. Kimdime The great watershed of Europe On the northern and western slopes, the very long Rhine stands out, 1,230 kilometers long, which originates in the Swiss Alps and flows into the North Sea through Rotterdam, in addition to the Elbe, the Oder and the Vistula, which end in the Baltic or the Seine and the Loire that flow towards the Atlantic. Mighty rivers that have historically been commercial arteries of central Europe to reach the Atlantic and the Baltic. On the southern and eastern slopes, the absolute protagonist is the Danube, with 2,860 kilometers, which passes through 10 states and empties into the Black Sea. It is accompanied by the Dnieper that goes to the Black Sea, the Po that reaches the Adriatic or the Rhône and the Ebro that end in the Mediterranean. This basin is characterized by more variable water regimes and a geography marked by the large southern peninsulas. The Great Continental Divide, by Pierre Remonté The shape of this divide is not random: it is the direct consequence of millions of years of tectonic processes, mainly the collision between the African and Eurasian plates. The areas where the color changes coincide with the peaks of the Alps, the Pyrenees and the French Massif Central, which act as “roofs” that divert runoff to one side or the other. From a geological point of view, this map is a reflection of the structural relief of the continent. On the high peaks of Switzerland or Austria, the direction of the wind or the inclination of a rock of just a few centimeters can decide whether melted snow will end up on the coasts of the Netherlands or in the Danube delta in Romania. Some curiosities. One of the most interesting situations occurs in Munich: a drop that falls in that German city will reach the Isar, then the Danube and then travel more than 2,000 kilometers to the Black Sea. However, less than 100 kilometers away, a drop that falls there will end up in the North Sea. In some parts of the Alps, this divide means that extremely close geographic places belong to basins with final destinations thousands of kilometers apart. In the Iberian Peninsula there are also rarities: the longest and largest rivers flow into the Atlantic, but there is a notable exception that breaks this trend, the Ebro. Thus, situations arise such as that of Pamplona, ​​located less than 100 kilometers from the Atlantic (Cantabrian Sea): a drop that falls in the Navarrese capital will reach the Arga and from there to the Ebro to end up in the Mediterranean. In Xataka | The best 7 printed or digital maps that the European Union gives away and you can get for free In Xataka | The entire history of Europe year by year, explained in a video of just ten minutes Cover | Perrin Remonté

the map that divides Spain in two through its two large hydrographic basins

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This curious map that divides the Spanish state into blue and red could represent political or administrative borders, but the partition is much more curious and striking: it shows the final destination of each drop of rain that falls in Spain. Each line you see is one of the many rivers that run through this part of the Iberian Peninsula and its color reveals where it will end: in the Mediterranean Sea or in the Atlantic Ocean. The result is one of the most beautiful and revealing hydrological portraits of the Iberian Peninsula. Based on data from the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, the cartographer and GIS consultant Joe Davies has put together This map of watersheds that reveals the invisible spine that runs through the state, the continental watershed. The result is surprising to say the least. In addition to the colors, the route is more or less marked depending on the flow of the river, thus revealing which rivers are the largest. That invisible line slides approximately through the Iberian System and the Pyrenean foothills, dividing the territory into two water worlds. There are several things that draw attention to the image: the first thing is the proportion. The Atlantic takes up about two thirds of the territory. But also that although Spain “looks” towards the Mediterranean, its rivers flow mostly to the west. There is a geological reason that explains it: the Central Plateau It tilts slightly towards the Atlantic, a legacy of the Hercynian tectonics that shaped the Iberian base 300 million years ago. The curious layout of the continental watershed in Spain He Ebro river is the great traitor: Born in Cantabria, just 20 kilometers from the Cantabrian Sea. By geographical logic one would expect it to be Atlantic, but no: its entire large basin is painted the color of the Mediterranean, where it empties after traveling almost a thousand kilometers. The Pyrenees functioned as a barrier and the Iberian and Catalan Systems as a funnel, so the river was forced to flow westwards. A striking example of how the orography is capable of hijacking a river and taking it to another sea different from the one where it would belong. Another river that constitutes a curious case is the Segura: it originates in the Sierra de Segura in Jaen, more than 300 kilometers from the sea. Afterwards, it travels an enormous distance to empty into Alicante with a low flow, something that can be seen in comparison with neighboring Gualquivir. The explanation lies in the extreme aridity of its basin and the intense agricultural pressure. Where does each drop of rain that falls in Spain go. Joe Davies with data from the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge As one might expect, Galicia is very red on Davies’ map: it is a truly dense tangle that contrasts with the rest, especially if we move away from the Cantabrian coast. Galicia receive between 1,500 and 2,000 mm of annual precipitation, on a substrate of practically impermeable granites and slates, so the water does not filter, it drains. The result is that density of rivers and streams, all Atlantic, short and mighty. It is the region that best illustrates the direct relationship between geology, climate and river network. If the map were of all of Europe, Galicia would still stand out. The map also gives us unthinkable colorslike Pamplona being colored in Blue despite being a northern city extremely close to the Cantabrian Sea: its waters go to the Mediterranean through the Ebro and its tributaries. Madrid is red: the Manzanares-Jarama-Tajo takes it to the Atlantic. It has the continental divide very close, less than 80 kilometers away. On either side of that barrier, the water that falls in the same downpour ends up in seas separated by thousands of kilometers. 3D version with inverted colors. Joe Davies with data from the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge In Xataka | The definitive tool for a historic year of astronomy in Spain: the light pollution map In Xataka | Much more than tourism, cars and oil: the entire industry that Spain exports to the world, gathered in one graph Cover | Joe Davies

The hydrographic basin that is most suffering from drought is an unexpected one: Galicia’s

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Summer It is taking its toll To the Spanish reservoirs and, despite the fact that the hydrographic basins maintain good health, some of these areas have seen how their reserves have markedly diminish. This has led to repeat an already familiar scenario: consumption restrictions. First restrictions. Galicia is an example of this. In this community there have been several councilsespecially in those located south of Pontevedra, who have announced restrictions to the use of water. The implemented measures differ as the case reported the Chain ser. The problem affects more areas of the Northwest, not just Galicia. As reported The newspaper Commercesome municipalities and parishes in Asturias have already announced the implementation of measures of this type to force water savings. These measures, explains the local press, affect only the “great consumption”, such as swimming pools and vehicle washing, similar to the previous ones. The restrictions have even reached some municipalities in the province of León, especially in the Laciana region, also reported the local press. The town hall of Villablino has been the one who has given the alarm, announcing restrictions on domestic use. The Galician basins. The data published this week on the Stadium of the Reservoirs confirm a worrying trend in a good part of the basins of the northwest of the Peninsula. This is especially notorious in The basins of the coast of Galicia The only basin north of Júcar below 60 % of its capacity, with its swamps full of 58.5% on average (400 hm³ in total). At the end of May, these reservoirs exceeded 80% of its capacity. Question of size? There are two factors that explain this rapid descent. The first is a hard summer: the month of June was an extremely warm month in Spain, Also dry (Galicia being one of the driest areas within the Peninsula). Although the month of July was somewhat more wet, most of the rainfall concentrated on the west peninsular. The second is that we are talking about a small, the sixth smaller sixth basin, with a capacity of 490 hm³, a small fraction of the capacity of neighboring basins such as that of the Miño-Sil (3,030 hm³) or the Duero (7,602 hm³). Lower size implies greater variability, less capacity to absorb Shocks and changes. Below 2024. Although the situation is not so striking in the rest of Galician basins, there is a detail that all the Northwest basins share (Western Cantabrian, Duero, Galician Basins and Miño-Sil): they all have less water than they had last year by these dates. The difference is more pronounced in the small basins: the reservoirs of the Galician coast kept 483 hm³ this week, which implies a drop of 17.2%, while those of the Western Cantabrian They have passed from 430 to 357 hm³, almost 17% less. In contrast, that of the Miño-Sil It went from 2,506 to 2,403 (4.1% less), and The Duero From 5,993 to 5,766 hm³ (3.8% less). On average, the Peninsular basins They have 14.9% more water than last year by these same dates. Summer remains ahead. There are still almost two months left for the end of the hydrological year. This change of the year is between the months of September and October, at which time autumn precipitations usually change the descendant trend in the reserve of the summer months. In Xataka | The next great drought is a matter of time. It is the one we have to solve the problem of sediments in reservoirs Image | Vjgalaxy

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