Compare the Difference Between Similar Terms

Difference Between

Home / Science & Nature / Nature / Difference Between River and Creek

Difference Between River and Creek

January 1, 2011 Posted by Aron

River vs Creek

A river is a repository of fresh water and is a natural water course. It normally flows towards an ocean or sea. It joins a lake or another river too at times. A creek on the other hand is a small stream. A creek can also be a narrow channel between islands.

Geographers define creek as small rivers or rivulets. It is important to know that river is part of hydrological cycle. A creek on the other hand is described as a shallow tributary to a river. One of the main differences between a river and creek is their size. As a matter of fact a river is larger than a creek.

A river is said to be a natural body of water that leads to an ocean or sea. On the contrary a creek is understood differently by different cultures. In British English creek means a narrow inlet of the sea, probably a sunken river valley. In Australia a creek means almost a river. It is interesting to note that a creek is called by other names such as a brook and a stream too in British English.

Geographers believe that although a creek is smaller than a river, there are some creeks that are considerably larger and longer than some rivers. In fact they are described as stronger than some rivers too. There are some large creeks and small rivers in the United States of America for that matter.

It is no hyperbole that there are few creeks that flow all through the year. Rivers on the other hand sometimes get dried due to extreme heat and precipitation and are likely to gain flow of water during rainy season. It is interesting to note that rivers flow downhill without taking the compass direction into consideration. It is indeed a misconception that rivers flow only from north to south.

Related posts:

Difference Between Surface Water and Ground Water

Filed Under: Nature Tagged With: brook, Channel, Creek, fresh water repository, hydrological cycle, River, river valley, rivulets, stream, tributary

About the Author: Aron

Professor in Social Science and a contributing writer for Difference Between

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Request Article

Featured Posts

Difference Between Coronavirus and Cold Symptoms

Difference Between Coronavirus and Cold Symptoms

Difference Between Coronavirus and SARS

Difference Between Coronavirus and SARS

Difference Between Coronavirus and Influenza

Difference Between Coronavirus and Influenza

Difference Between Coronavirus and Covid 19

Difference Between Coronavirus and Covid 19

You May Like

Difference Between Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga and Toshiba Portege M930

Difference Between Paraffin Wax and Candle Wax

Difference Between Paraffin Wax and Candle Wax

Difference Between Wolf and Fox

Difference Between Hydronium Ion and Hydrogen Ion

Difference Between Argument and Parameter

Difference Between Argument and Parameter

Latest Posts

  • What is the Difference Between Magnesium Citrate Malate and Glycinate
  • What is the Difference Between Appendicitis and Ovarian Cyst
  • What is the Difference Between PAD and Venous Insufficiency
  • What is the Difference Between Saccades and Nystagmus
  • What is the Difference Between Sulfonylureas and Meglitinides
  • What is the Difference Between Pneumatocele and Lung Abscess
  • Home
  • Vacancies
  • About
  • Request Article
  • Contact Us

Copyright © 2010-2018 Difference Between. All rights reserved. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy: Legal.