Nile River: Did It Ever Empty Into The Atlantic Ocean?
The Nile River has long been one of the greatest civilizational rivers of the world. Originating in the lands of the high plateau of East Africa, it moves its way northbound to eventually empty into the Mediterranean Sea. Although it is universally accepted that the Nile flows in a northerly direction and empties into the Mediterranean, not many people are aware that many believe that at one point, the Nile River might have emptied into the Atlantic Ocean. Though evidence of this is scarce, this article will take a look at the question of whether the Nile River ever did empty into the Atlantic Ocean.
Evidence Suggesting the Nile Emptied Into the Atlantic
In the 1930’s, geologist Harold Edward Jervey proposed that at one point the Nile River emptied into an ancient lake, known as Lake Mahela. Jervey argued that due to the erosional processes, the lake was slowly being filled up, and as a result its outflow eventually moved towards the Atlantic Ocean. Further evidence supporting this theory can be found in the sedimentary rocks found in the area, which depicts a deep riverbed leading out to the North Atlantic. Additionally, the geomorphology of certain areas, such as the Mozambique Channel, show that at some point a large freshwater body must have existed, which could have been caused by the Nile emptying.
In addition to sedimentary rocks and geomorphology, there is also another piece of evidence presented by Jervey – the ancient myths that exist from sub-Saharan African regions. These stories explicitly talk about the Nile emptying into the Atlantic Ocean, which could hint at a possible event in the past. Some of these stories also correspond with ancient writing from Greek, Roman, and Arabian historians, which means that it is possible that in the past some form of connection between the two bodies of water existed.
Arguments Against the Nile Emptying Into the Atlantic
Despite the potential evidence of the Nile emptying into the Atlantic in the past, there are still a good number of arguments discounted Jervey’s theory. For example, the sedimentary rocks which depict an ancient riverbed leading out to the North Atlantic could have been formed by an unrelated process, such as the rearrangement of rocks due to seismic activity. Furthermore, the geomorphology of the Mozambique Channel could have been caused by a lake overflowing instead of the Nile River.
Additionally, with regards to the myths, it must be acknowledged that it is entirely possible that they embellished certain elements in order to make more entertaining. Therefore, it could be argued that the Nile River never did empty into the Atlantic Ocean, and these myths were simply extrapolations of real events.
The Unknown Origin of the Nile’s Northward Flow
Regardless of the evidence presented, the question of whether or not the Nile River ever emptied into the Atlantic Ocean is still unanswered. At the same time, it must also be noted how this question sheds light on an even bigger one – that is, how did the Nile River start flowing in a northward direction in the
