Waterfall

Waterfall is a natural feature where water flows over a vertical drop in the course of a stream or river. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf.

Formation

Waterfalls are commonly formed in the upper course of a river where lakes fall into in steep mountains. Because of their landscape position, many waterfalls occur over bedrock fed by little contributing area, so they may be ephemeral and flow only during rainstorms or significant snowmelt. The further downstream, the more perennial a waterfall can be. Waterfalls can have a wide range of widths and depths.

Types of Waterfalls

Waterfalls can be classified into many different types depending on how the water descends. These include plunge, horsetail, cataract, multi-step, block, cascade, punchbowl and fan.

Plunge

Plunge waterfalls are those where the water loses contact with the bedrock surface. The velocity of the water at the crest of the waterfall is greater than at the base, causing the water to flow faster at the top than the bottom.

Horsetail

In horsetail waterfalls, the water maintains some contact with the bedrock. The descent of the water is not vertical, and the water flow is somewhat dispersed.

Cataract

A cataract waterfall is a large, powerful waterfall that usually involves a large drop.

Multi-step

A series of waterfalls one after another of roughly the same size each with its own sunken plunge pool is known as a multi-step waterfall.

Examples of Waterfalls

Some of the most famous waterfalls include Niagara Falls, Victoria Falls, and Angel Falls, the highest waterfall in the world.

See Also

• List of waterfalls
• Waterfall model
• Waterfall (disambiguation)

References

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