Amazon origin confirmed

A stream of the Apacheta River in the Arequipa Region in southern Peru has been found to be the origin of the Amazon River, according to research .

The finding by Polish scientist Jacek Palkiewicz after 12 years of research has recently been confirmed by Peruvian geologists and geographers, said the SGL. The finding, proved by hydrographic and geomorphologic criteria, would put an end to long disputes over the origin of the river, it said. "We explored snowy areas and glaciers and discovered that the Amazon River doesn't have its origin in a glacier as it was thought," said Mr. Palkjewcz. The Apacheta's stream determined by the scientists as the origin of the Amazon river had its headwaters in a small pool where there was a permanent ice layer coming from the subterraneous, Mr. Palkjewcz said. The new finding will put the length of the Amazon River at about 7,000 km, overtaking the Nile River, which has a length of 6,400 to 6,700 km according to different measurements, as the world's longest. — Xinhua

The Hindu, May 9, 2008