Scientists may have finally solved a very old mystery about one of North America's most important river systems. They now believe they understand how a river managed to cut through a mountain range in Utah that has existed for millions of years.

This discovery helps explain why the Green River flows in a way that has confused experts for more than a century, reported Newsweek.

The Green River is the largest tributary of the Colorado River. The river has carved a 2,296-foot-deep canyon through Utah's Uinta Mountains, even though these mountains are approximately 13,123 feet high.

Instead of flowing around the mountains, the river carved a path directly through them. This unique path has puzzled geologists for more than 150 years.

Complicating this puzzle is the significant age difference between the mountains and the river's path. The Uinta Mountains are approximately 50 million years old, but the Green River has been flowing along this "upstream" path for less than 8 million years. Scientists from the University of Glasgow, Scotland, studying the area, pointed out this surprising fact.

The Role Of "Lithospheric Dripping"Researchers believe that a process called lithospheric dripping is responsible for the river's unusual path. This process slowly lowers parts of the Earth's surface over millions of years and then allows them to rise again.

Source:Ndtv