When warm and cold water meet by a gorge in the ocean, large underwater waterfalls can form as the cold water rushes to the bottom. Another reason hanging valleys may form is where two rivers join and one is flowing faster than the other. The large waterfalls in Yosemite Valley are examples of this phenomenon, which is referred to as a hanging valley. Waterfalls can occur along the edge of a glacial trough, where a stream or river flowing into a glacier continues to flow into a valley after the glacier has receded or melted. Ī river sometimes flows over a large step in the rocks that may have been formed by a fault line. Waterfalls are commonly formed in the upper course of a river where lakes flow into valleys in steep mountains. A waterfall may also be referred to as a "foss" or "force". A plunge pool is a type of stream pool formed at the bottom of a waterfall. Waterfalls are sometimes interchangeably referred to as "cascades" and "cataracts", though some sources specify a cataract as being a larger and more powerful waterfall and a cascade as being smaller. What actually constitutes a waterfall continues to be debated. Some scholars have included rapids as a subsection. In 2000 Mabin specified that "The horizontal distance between the positions of the lip and plunge pool should be no more than c 25% of the waterfall height." There are various types and methods to classify waterfalls. Since the 18th century they have received increased attention as tourist destinations, sources of hydropower, and-particularly since the mid-20th century-as subjects of research.Ī waterfall is generally defined as a point in a river where water flows over a steep drop that is close to or directly vertical. Waterfalls are religious sites in many cultures. They can present formidable barriers to navigation along rivers. Humans have had a distinct relationship with waterfalls for years, travelling to see them, exploring and naming them. Waterfalls have been studied for their impact on species living in and around them. Waterfalls can be formed in several ways, but the most common method of formation is that a river courses over a top layer of resistant bedrock before falling on to softer rock, which erodes faster, leading to an increasingly high fall. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge A point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop Geli Ali Beg Waterfall in Erbil Pearl Waterfall, Jiuzhaigou, Sichuan, ChinaĪngel Falls in Venezuela is the world's tallest waterfall at 979 m (3,212 ft).Ī waterfall is any point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops.
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