List the Most Common "Reality" Errors!

[Chick]

"6. Rivers do not naturally run through a mountain range. When they do so, it usually is the result of some event other than the river that has split the mountains."

Actually, you missed the most common exception: The river was there before the mountains rose

[Gamerprinter]

"6. Rivers do not naturally run through a mountain range. When they do so, it usually is the result of some event other than the river that has split the mountains."

Actually, you missed the most common exception: The river was there before the mountains rose

The New River in the Eastern US is actually one of the oldest rivers in the world and it bisects the Appalachian Mountains with the New River Gorge. The New River existed when the world was one supercontinent of Pangaea, and thought to be 325 to 260 million years old, and preceded the uplift of the Appalachians.

[Azélor]

The New River in the Eastern US is actually one of the oldest rivers in the world and it bisects the Appalachian Mountains with the New River Gorge. The New River existed when the world was one supercontinent of Pangaea, and thought to be 325 to 260 million years old, and preceded the uplift of the Appalachians.

That is uncommon to the point I find it weird. I would have expected the river to change course but I guess the erosion process was faster than the rise of the mountains ?

Probably because they're usually defined as tundra instead.

Yes and no. Most of the north pole is covered with water. Except for Greenland and apparently Severnaya Zemlya and Franz/Joseph islands, it's all tundra only because it's surrounded by water. The presence of water is warming the area just enough. Even this place is too hot and it still considered as a tundra http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alert,_Nunavut

Antarctica has a more extreme climate because it's right on the pole. Thus what I said in the original message: pole are likely to be ice desert. But there are exceptions.

[Hai-Etlik]

That is uncommon to the point I find it weird. I would have expected the river to change course but I guess the erosion process was faster than the rise of the mountains ?

Yes, this is called a "water gap" and it's fairly common. River erosion is generally MUCH faster than uplift. The west coast of North America has many parallel chains of mountains that are riddled with water gaps. The Columbia, Fraser, and Peace rivers all do this at least once each.

[Chick]

Yes, there's no doubt this is a common enough situation to merit specific mention, something like "....unless there is a clear water-level pass through the mountain range."

The Delaware Water Gap of the Delaware River on the border of Pennsylvania and New Jersey is a another nice example:
http://www.flyinphilsphotos.com/psw/photos/rsz_53.jpg

[Mark Oliva]

Actually, you missed the most common exception: The river was there before the mountains rose

Quite right. That's a good point to add.

[Bobemor]

Wait can someone explain 13. to me? The one about forests?

[Sarithus]

I was thinking about creating a thread on deserts as my latest map might have one and my weakness is very much on the geographical side of things. I remembered this thread though and noticed number 8. 'Deserts form in middle latitudes, not equatorial' Perhaps that could answer some of the questions I had. Could someone elaborate on that one, please?

[Freodin]

Wait can someone explain 13. to me? The one about forests?

I second that... what the heck is a short forest anyway?

[ChickPea]

LOL, I assumed the forest thing was more about scale and proportion than geography. People sometimes draw trees on their maps that tower over mountains. You don't see that much round these parts!