A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff. Waterfalls are considered to be one of the most beautiful phenomena in nature.[1] Some waterfalls are used to generate hydro-electric Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy. Once a hydroelectric complex is constructed, the project produces no direct waste, and has a considerably power.
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Formation
Formation of a waterfallWaterfalls are most commonly formed when a river is young.[1] At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens slowly, while downstream the erosion occurs more rapidly.[1][2] As the watercourse increases its velocity at the edge of the waterfall, it plucks material from the riverbed. Whirlpools A whirlpool is a swirling body of water usually produced by ocean tides. The vast majority of whirlpools are not very powerful. More powerful ones are more properly termed maelstroms. Vortex is the proper term for any whirlpool that has a downdraft. (Technically, these approximate to a 'free vortex', in which the tangential velocity increases as created in the turbulence as well as sand and stones carried by the watercourse increase the erosion capacity.[1] This causes the waterfall to carve deeper into the bed and to recede upstream. Often over time, the waterfall will recede back to form a canyon or gorge downstream as it recedes upstream, and it will carve deeper into the ridge above it.[3] The rate of retreat for a waterfall can be as high as one and half metres per year.[1]
Often, the rock stratum In geology and related fields, a stratum is a layer of rock or soil with internally consistent characteristics that distinguishes it from contiguous layers. Each layer is generally one of a number of parallel layers that lie one upon another, laid down by natural forces. They may extend over hundreds of thousands of square kilometers of the Earth' just below the more resistant shelf will be of a softer type, meaning that undercutting due to splashback will occur here to form a shallow cave-like formation known as a rock shelter Rock shelters form because a rock stratum such as sandstone that is resistant to erosion and weathering has formed a cliff or bluff, but a softer stratum, more subject to erosion and weathering, lies just below the resistant stratum, and thus undercuts the cliff or plunge pool A Plunge pool can be a natural hydrologic Fluvial landform feature or a constructed recreational garden feature under and behind the waterfall. Eventually, the outcropping An outcrop is a visible exposure of bedrock or ancient superficial deposits on the surface of the Earth.[citation needed], more resistant cap rock will collapse under pressure to add blocks of rock to the base of the waterfall. These blocks of rock are then broken down into smaller boulders by attrition as they collide with each other, and they also erode the base of the waterfall by abrasion Abrasion is the mechanical scraping of a rock surface by friction between rocks and moving particles during their transport by wind, glacier, waves, gravity, running water or erosion. After friction, the moving particles dislodge loose and weak debris from the side of the rock. These particles can be dissolved in the water source, creating a deep plunge pool or gorge.
Baatara gorge waterfall near Tannurin, Lebanon Lebanon (pronounced /ˈlɛbənɒn/ or /ˈlɛbənən/; Arabic: لُبْنَان Lubnān; French: Liban), officially the Republic of Lebanon[nb 1] (Arabic: اَلْجُمْهُورِيَّة اَللُّبْنَانِيَّة al-Jumhūrīyah al-Lubnānīyah; French: République libanaise), is a country on the eastern shore of the MediterraneanStreams become wider and shallower just above waterfalls due to flowing over the rock shelf, and there is usually a deep pool just below the waterfall because of the kinetic energy The kinetic energy of an object is the extra energy which it possesses due to its motion. It is defined as the work needed to accelerate a body of a given mass from rest to its current velocity. Having gained this energy during its acceleration, the body maintains this kinetic energy unless its speed changes. Negative work of the same magnitude of the water hitting the bottom. Waterfalls normally form in a rocky area due to erosion. After a long period of being fully formed, the water falling off the ledge will retreat, causing a horizontal pit parallel to the waterfall wall. Eventually, as the pit grows deeper, the waterfall collapses to be replaced by a steeply sloping stretch of river bed.[1]
A river sometimes flows over a large step in the rocks that may have been formed by a fault line In geology, a fault is a planar fracture or discontinuity in a volume of rock, across which there has been significant displacement. Large faults within the Earth's crust result from the action of tectonic forces. Energy release associated with rapid movement on active faults is the cause of most earthquakes. Waterfalls can occur along the edge of a glacial trough, whereby a stream or river flowing into a glacier A glacier is a perennial mass of ice which moves over land. A glacier forms in locations where the mass accumulation of snow and ice exceeds ablation over many years. The word glacier comes from French via the Vulgar Latin glacia, and ultimately from Latin glacies meaning ice. The corresponding area of study is called glaciology continues to flow into a valley after the glacier has receded or melted. The large waterfalls in Yosemite Valley Yosemite Valley is a glacial valley in the western Sierra Nevada mountains of California, carved out by the Merced River. The valley is about 8 miles (13 km) long and up to 8,000 feet (2,400 m) deep, surrounded by high granite summits such as Half Dome, El Capitan, and Cloud's Rest, and densely forested with pines. Tenaya, Illilouette and are examples of this phenomenon, which is referred to as a hanging valley. Another reason hanging valleys may form is where two rivers join and one is flowing faster than the other.[1]
Classification
Waterfalls are grouped into ten broad classes based on the average volume of water present on the fall using a logarithmic scale A logarithmic scale is a scale of measurement that uses the logarithm of a physical quantity instead of the quantity itself. Class 10 waterfalls include Niagara Falls The Niagara Falls are voluminous waterfalls on the Niagara River, straddling the international border between the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of New York. The falls are 17 miles north-northwest of Buffalo, New York and 75 miles (120 km) south-southeast of Toronto, Ontario, between the twin cities of Niagara Falls, Ontario, and, Paulo Afonso Falls and Khone Falls.
Classes of other well-known waterfalls include Victoria Falls The Victoria Falls or Mosi-oa-Tunya is a waterfall located in southern Africa on the Zambezi River between the countries of Zambia and Zimbabwe. The falls are some of the largest in the world and Kaieteur Falls (Class 9); Rhine Falls, Gullfoss and Sutherland Falls (Class 8); Angel Falls Angel Falls or Kerepakupai merú is the world's highest waterfall, with a height of 979 m (3,212 ft) and a plunge of 807 m (2,647 ft). The waterfall drops over the edge of the Auyantepui mountain in the Canaima National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Canaima), a UNESCO World Heritage site in the Gran Sabana region of Bolívar State, Venezuela and Dettifoss (Class 7); Yosemite Falls, Lower Yellowstone Falls Yellowstone Falls consist of two major waterfalls on the Yellowstone River, within Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United States. As the Yellowstone river flows north from Yellowstone Lake, it leaves the Hayden Valley and plunges first over Upper Yellowstone Falls and then a quarter mile downstream over Lower Yellowstone Falls, at which point and Umphang Thee Lor Sue Waterfall (Class 6).[4]
Types
Main article: List of waterfalls by type Dark Hollow Falls, near Skyline Drive, Virginia The area's history begins with several indigenous groups, including the Powhatan. In 1607 the London Company established the Colony of Virginia as the first permanent New World English colony. Land from displaced Native American tribes and slave labor each played significant roles in the colony's early politics and plantation economy. Virginia was, is an example of a cascade waterfall- Block: Water descends from a relatively wide stream or river.[5][2]
- Cascade: Water descends a series of rock steps.[5][2]
- Cataract: A large, powerful waterfall.[5]
- Chute: A large quantity of water forced through a narrow, vertical passage.[5]http://worldwaterfalls.com/waterfall_types.php</ref>
- Fan: Water spreads horizontally as it descends while remaining in contact with bedrock In stratigraphy, bedrock is the native consolidated rock underlying the surface of a terrestrial planet, usually the Earth. Above the bedrock is usually an area of broken and weathered unconsolidated rock in the basal subsoil. The top of the bedrock is known as rockhead and identifying this, via excavations, drilling or geophysical methods, is an.[5]
- Frozen: Any waterfall which has some element of ice.[5]
- Horsetail: Descending water maintains some contact with bedrock.[5]
- Plunge: Water descends vertically, losing contact with the bedrock surface.[5]
- Punchbowl: Water descends in a constricted form and then spreads out in a wider pool.[5]
- Segmented: Distinctly separate flows of water form as it descends.[5]
- Tiered: Water drops in a series of distinct steps or falls.[5]
- Multi-step: A series of waterfalls one after another of roughly the same size each with its own sunken plunge pool.[5]
Examples of large waterfalls[6]
Havasu Falls The Havasu ’Baaja , or more commonly the Havasupai, are a Native American tribe located in the northwestern part of the American state of Arizona. The tribe is well-known for being the only permanent inhabitants in the Grand Canyon, where they have lived for over 800 years. It also holds the distinction of being one of the only places left in, near Supai, Arizona Arizona is the 48th state and last of the contiguous states admitted to the Union, achieving statehood on February 14, 1912 - the 50th anniversary of Arizona's recognition as a territory of the United States. Arizona is noted for its desert climate, exceptionally hot summers, and mild winters, however it also features pine forests and mountain, is an example of a plunge waterfall Powerscourt Waterfall, near Enniskerry, Wicklow County County Wicklow is one of the traditional counties of Ireland and is located within the province of Leinster. It was named after the town of Wicklow (which derives from the Old Norse name Víkingalág or Wykynlo), Ireland Ireland (pronounced [ˈaɾlənd],; Irish: Éire, pronounced [ˈeːɾʲə] ( listen); Ulster Scots: Airlann) is the third largest island in Europe and the twentieth largest island in the world. It lies to the northwest of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islets. To the east of Ireland is Great Britain, separated from, is an example of a horsetail waterfall Aerial view of Niagara Falls in the state of New York New York City, which is geographically the largest city in the state and most populous in the United States, is known for its history as a gateway for immigration to the United States and its status as a financial, cultural, transportation, and manufacturing center. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, it is also a destination of choice, US ^ b. English is the de facto language of American government and the sole language spoken at home by 80% of Americans age five and older. Spanish is the second most commonly spoken language, and province of Ontario Ontario is bordered by Manitoba on its west, Hudson Bay on its north, and Quebec on its east, and by five States of the United States to its south : Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania (Lake Erie) and New York. All but a small portion of Ontario's 2,700 km (1,677 mi) border with the United States follow inland waterways: from the west at Lake, Canada The land occupied by Canada was inhabited for millennia by various groups of Aboriginal peoples. Beginning in the late 15th century, British and French expeditions explored, and later settled, along the Atlantic coast. France ceded nearly all of its colonies in North America in 1763 after the Seven Years' War. In 1867, with the union of three Duruitoarea waterfall in Ceahlău, Romania Romania (pronounced /roʊˈmeɪniə/ roe-MAY-nee-ə; dated: Rumania, Roumania; Romanian: România [romɨˈni.a] ( listen)) is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, north of the Balkan Peninsula, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea. Almost all of the Danube Delta Plitvice lakes, Croatia Croatia (pronounced /kroʊˈeɪʃə/ , kroe-AY-shə; Croatian: Hrvatska pronounced [xř̩ʋaːtskaː]), officially the Republic of Croatia (Croatian: Republika Hrvatska listen (help·info)), is a country in Central Europe and Southeastern Europe at the crossroads of the Pannonian Plain, the Balkans, and the Adriatic Sea. Its capital and largest Main articles: List of waterfalls by height and List of waterfalls by flow rateSignificant waterfalls are listed alphabetically:
- Angel Falls Angel Falls or Kerepakupai merú is the world's highest waterfall, with a height of 979 m (3,212 ft) and a plunge of 807 m (2,647 ft). The waterfall drops over the edge of the Auyantepui mountain in the Canaima National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Canaima), a UNESCO World Heritage site in the Gran Sabana region of Bolívar State, Venezuela is the world's tallest at 979 metres (3212 ft) in Venezuela Venezuela (pronounced /ˌvɛnɨˈzweɪlə/ ; Spanish: [beneˈswela]), officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish: República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It is a continental mainland with numerous islands located off its coastline in the Caribbean Sea. The republic is.
- Bambarakanda Falls is Sri Lanka Sri Lanka , officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and known as Ceylon (/sɪˈlɒn/) before 1972, is an island country in South Asia, located about 31 kilometres (19.3 mi) off the southern coast of India's tallest waterfall at 263 m.
- Bridalveil Fall Bridalveil Fall is one of the most prominent waterfalls in the Yosemite Valley in California, seen yearly by millions of visitors to Yosemite National Park in Yosemite Valley is 189 m (620 ft) high with a sheer drop when flowing.
- Cascata delle Marmore in Italy Italy (pronounced /ˈɪtəli/ ; Italian: Italia [iˈtaːlja]), officially the Italian Republic (Italian: Repubblica italiana), is a country located partly on the European Continent and partly on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine is the tallest man-made waterfall in the world.
- Cautley Spout, at 175 m (580 ft), is the tallest waterfall in England The area now called England has been settled by people of various cultures for about 35,000 years, but it takes its name from the Angles, one of the Germanic tribes who settled during the 5th and 6th centuries. England became a unified state in AD 927, and since the Age of Discovery, which began during the 15th century, has had a significant.
- Colonial Creek Falls, the second tallest waterfall in North America North America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and in the western hemisphere. It is bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southeast by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the North Pacific Ocean; South America lies to the southeast at 2,584 ft (788 m), is located in the North Cascades National Park North Cascades National Park is a U.S. National Park located in the state of Washington, Washington Washington (pronounced /ˈwɒʃɪŋtən/ ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Washington was carved out of the western part of Washington Territory which had been ceded by Britain in 1846 by the Oregon Treaty as settlement of the Oregon Boundary Dispute. It was admitted to the Union as the forty-second state in 1889, United States ^ b. English is the de facto language of American government and the sole language spoken at home by 80% of Americans age five and older. Spanish is the second most commonly spoken language.
- Dettifoss, Northeast Iceland is the largest waterfall in Europe in terms of volume discharge, having an average water flow of 200 m³/s.The falls are 100 m wide and have a drop of 44 m down to the Jökulsárgljúfur canyon.
- Eas a' Chual Aluinn, at 200 m (658 ft), is the tallest waterfall in both Scotland Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the southwest. In addition to the mainland, Scotland and the United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland[note 7] is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of the island of Ireland, and many small islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK with a land.
- Gocta is the fifth tallest in the world at 771 m (2532 ft) and located in the province Chachapoyas, Peru Peru (pronounced /pəˈru/ ; Spanish: Perú, Quechua: Piruw, Aymara: Piruw), officially the Republic of Peru (Spanish: República del Perú, pronounced [reˈpuβlika ðel peˈɾu] ( listen)), is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south.
- Hannoki Falls is the tallest waterfall in Asia Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.6% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 4 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population. During the 20th century Asia's population nearly quadrupled at 1,640 ft (500 m) and located in Tateyama, Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south. The characters that make up Japan's name mean "sun-origin", which is why Japan is.
- High Force on the River Tees The Tees is a river in Northern England. It rises on the eastern slope of Cross Fell in the Pennines, and flows eastwards for about 85 miles to reach the North Sea between Hartlepool and Redcar. It drains an area of 708 square miles (1834 square km) and subsumes no important tributaries. Before the reorganization of the historic English counties, is one of the tallest waterfalls in England.
- Huangguoshu Waterfall in Anshun Anshun is a city in China in the southwestern province of Guizhou where the famous Huangguoshu Waterfall is located. As of 1999, it had a population of 217,215. The city also has industry involving airplanes, Guizhou Guizhou (simplified Chinese: 贵 , China China is seen variously as an ancient civilization extending over a large area in East Asia, a nation and/or a multinational entity, is the largest waterfall in East Asia East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms. Geographically and geo-politically, it covers about 12,000,000 km2 (4,600,000 sq mi), or about 28 percent of the Asian continent, about 15 percent bigger than the area of Europe.
- Iguazu Falls Coordinates: 25°41′43″S 54°26′12″W / 25.69528°S 54.43667°W Iguazu Falls, Iguassu Falls, or Iguaçu Falls (Portuguese: Cataratas do Iguaçu are waterfalls of the Iguazu River located on the border of the Brazilian state of Paraná and the Argentine province of Misiones. The falls divide the river into the upper and lower Iguazu is a tall and extremely wide waterfall located in South America on the Argentina/Brazil border.
- James Bruce Falls, the tallest waterfall in North America at 840 m, is located in the Princess Louisa Marine Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada.
- Jog Falls is India's tallest (listed as 314 ranking on the World Waterfall Database), located in Karnataka state, India.
- Jurong Falls in Singapore is an artificial waterfall.
- Kaieteur Falls (Potaro River in central Guyana), located in the Kaieteur National Park, is 226 m (741 ft).
- Krimmler Wasserfälle, at 380 m, is Austria's second tallest waterfall and located in Krimml, Salzburg, Austria.
- Multnomah Falls is 611 feet (186 m) high and 30 ft wide.
- Niagara Falls are the most powerful falls in North America.
- Pissing Mare Falls, at 350 m (1148 ft), is the tallest in eastern North America.
- Pistyll Rhaeadr, a 240 ft (73m) waterfall in Wales.
- Ramnefjellsfossen is the world's third tallest at 808 m (2685 ft), at Stryn, Nesdalen, Norway.
- Rhine Falls is Europe's widest and is located in Switzerland.
- ShirAbad Waterfall is located in Iran, Golestan, Khanbebin, Shirabad.
- Shoshone Falls the "Niagara of the West" in Idaho
- St.Clair's Falls is Sri Lanka's widest waterfall 265 ft high.
- Takakkaw Falls is a 384 m (1260 ft) in Yoho National Park in Canada.
- Tequendama Falls is a 132 m high waterfall on the Bogotá River, about 30 km southwest of Bogotá in Colombia.
- Tugela Falls is the world's second tallest at 947 m (3110 ft) in KwaZulu-Natal province, Republic of South Africa.
- Victoria Falls is the largest waterfall in the world and is more than a mile long. It is located on the Zambezi river on the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia.
- Virginia Falls (Northwest Territories) on South Nahanni River, Northwest Territories, Canada. World's 14th largest waterfall located in Nahanni National Park Reserve a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Waihilau Falls, at 2,600 ft (792 m), is located in the Waimanu Valley, Hawaii, United States.
- Yosemite Falls, the fourth tallest waterfall in North America at 2,425 ft (739 m), is located in Yosemite National Park, United States.
- Yumbilla Falls is the world's fifth tallest waterfall and located in Peru.
- Silver Falls is a waterfall and is located in Silverton, Oregon.
See also
| Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Waterfalls |
- List of waterfalls
- List of waterfalls by height
- List of waterfalls by flow rate
- List of waterfalls by type
- Panhole
- Stream pool
- Tributary
- Water feature
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Carreck, Rosalind, ed (1982). The Family Encyclopedia of Natural History. The Hamlyn Publishing Group. pp. 246—248. ISBN 011202257.
- ^ a b c http://geography.howstuffworks.com/terms-and-associations/waterfall.htm/printable
- ^ http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/content/visualizations/es1305/es1305page01.cfm?chapter_no=visualization
- ^ Richard H. Beisel Jr., International Waterfall Classification System, Outskirts Press, 2006 ISBN 1-59800-340-2
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l http://worldwaterfalls.com/waterfall_types.php
- ^ World Waterfall Database
Categories: Water | Waterfalls | Fluvial landforms
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Bella Coola Harbour with a sidetrip to the old deserted cannery We then headed to Clayton Creek Park just on the edge of town to have a look at Clayton Falls a nice little waterfall Back in town we navigated around all the locals with their dogs standing in the middle of the Highway chatting and parked up at Kopas Store the kind of small town general store that has all
Benjamin Marra
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Brandon Soderberg: Let's talk about the . waterfall. scene towards the end because it inspired this discussion. Basically, Benjamin was part of a panel at the Small Press Expo (SPX) called The New Action that was talking to indie ...
Q. I have seen desk waterfalls for sale, and of course plans. But I'm thinking almost a mini-tank with a few water plants, with a waterfall that falls into it, with rocks around it. Wouldn't that be fantastic to have on your desk?! Any ideas on where to buy such a thing? Or to buy something that I could easily modify? Or how to build one? Thanks!
Asked by Cole W - Thu Jul 3 14:59:50 2008 - - 2 Answers - 0 Comments
A. I wouldn't even attempt to build one when you can buy them quite inexpensively at the store. You can buy the waterfall and rock garden and then add some small plants to it if you want.
Answered by Denny - Thu Jul 3 18:59:15 2008
