AY Honors/Waterfalls/Answer Key

2007-05-24T19:48:16Z

86.20.51.211: /* Formation */

:::''For other uses see [[Waterfall (disambiguation)]]''

[[Image:Hopetoun falls.jpg|thumb|right|350px|Hopetoun Falls near [[Otway National Park]], [[Victoria, Australia|Victoria]], [[Australia]]]]

A '''waterfall''' is usually a [[geology|geological]] [[geologic formation|formation]] resulting from water, often in the form of a [[stream]], flowing over an [[erosion]]-resistant rock formation that forms a sudden break in elevation.

Some waterfalls form in [[mountain]] environments where [[erosion]] is rapid and stream courses may be subject to sudden and catastrophic change. In such cases, the waterfall may not be the end product of many years of water action over a region, but rather the result of relatively sudden geological processes such as [[landslide]]s, [[Geologic fault|fault]]s or [[volcano|volcanic action]].

Waterfalls may also be artificial, and they are sometimes created as [[garden]] and [[landscape]] ornaments.

==Formation ==
[[Image:Waterfall formation23.png|thumb|350px|right|Formation of a waterfall]]
Typically, a river flows over a large step in the rocks which may have been formed by a fault line. Over a period of years, the edges of this shelf will gradually break away and the waterfall will steadily retreat upstream, creating a gorge of recession. Often, the rock [[strata|stratum]] just below the more resistant shelf will be of a softer type, meaning undercutting, due to
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--[[User:86.20.51.211|86.20.51.211]] 19:48, 24 May 2007 (UTC)<nowiki>Insert non-formatted text here</nowiki>[[Media:Example.ogg]][[Media:Example.ogg]][[Image:Example.jpg]]
Streams become wider and more shallow just above waterfalls due to flowing over the rock shelf, and there is usually a deep pool just below the waterfall due to the [[kinetic energy]] of the water hitting the bottom.

Waterfalls can occur along the edge of [[glacial trough]], whereby a stream or river flowing into a [[glacier]] continues to flow into a valley after the [[glacier]] has receded or melted. The large waterfalls in [[Yosemite Valley]] are examples of this phenomenon. The rivers are flowing from [[hanging valley|hanging valleys]].

==Types of waterfalls==
[[Image:Havasu_Falls_1a_md.jpg|thumb|250px|right|[[Havasu Falls]], near Supai, Arizona, is an example of a plunge waterfall]]
[[Image:HPIM1262.JPG|thumb|250px|right|[[Powerscourt Waterfall]], near [[Enniskerry]], [[County Wicklow|Wicklow County]], is an example of a horsetail waterfall]]
* '''Block''': Water descends from a relatively wide stream or river.
* '''Cascade''': Water descends a series of rock steps.
* '''Cataract''': A large waterfall.
* '''Fan''': Water spreads horizontally as it descends while remaining in contact with [[bedrock]].
* '''Horsetail''': Descending water maintains some contact with bedrock.
* '''Plunge''': Water descends vertically, losing contact with the bedrock surface.
* '''Punchbowl''': Water descends in a constricted form, then spreads out in a wider pool.
* '''Segmented''': Distinctly separate flows of water form as it descends.
* '''Tiered''': Water drops in a series of distinct steps or falls.
* '''Multi-Step''': A series of waterfalls one after another of roughly the same size each with its own sunken plunge pool.

==Examples of large waterfalls==
:{{main|List of waterfalls}}
Significant waterfalls include these alphabetically:
* [[Angel Falls]], the world's highest at 979 [[metre]]s (3212 [[Foot (unit of length)|feet]]), in [[Venezuela]]
* [[Bridalveil Falls]], California - 189 m (620 ft) high: sheer drop when flowing
* [[Cascata delle Marmore]] in [[Italy]] is the tallest man-made waterfall in the world
* [[Gocta]], the fifth highest in the world at 771 m (2533 ft), located in the province [[Chachapoyas Province|Chachapoyas]], [[Peru]]
* [[Kaieteur Falls]], (Potaro River in central Guyana) located in the Kaieteur National Park, a region that is also claimed by Venezuela. It is 226 m (741 ft)
* [[High Force]] on the [[River Tees]] is one of the tallest waterfalls in England
* [[Iguazu Falls]], a tall and extremely wide fall located in [[South America]] on the [[Argentina]]/[[Brazil]] border
* [[Jog Falls]], India's eight highest (listed as 313 ranking on the World Waterfall Database), located in [[Karnataka]] state, [[India]]
* [[Jurong Falls]] in [[Singapore]] is the tallest artificial waterfall in Asia
* [[Multnomah Falls]]: 611 feet high 30ft wide
* [[Niagara Falls]] is the most powerful falls in North America
* [[Ramnefjellsfossen]], the world's third highest at 808 m (2685 ft), at [[Stryn]], Nesdalen, Norway
* [[Rhine Falls]], Europe's largest, located in [[Switzerland]]
* [[Tugela Falls]], the world's second highest at 947 m (3110 ft), in [[KwaZulu-Natal]] province, Republic of [[South Africa]]
* [[Victoria Falls]], the largest waterfall in the world, over a [[mile]] long and located on the [[Zambezi]] river on the border of [[Zimbabwe]] and [[Zambia]].
* [[Yosemite Falls]], arguably the tallest in [[North America]], located in [[Yosemite National Park]], [[United States]]

== See also ==
*[[Stream pool]]
*[[Water feature]]

==External links==
{{commons|waterfall}}
*[http://www.world-waterfalls.com/ World Waterfall Database]

[[Category:Waterfalls|*]]
[[Category:Ecology]]
[[Category:Ecotourism]]

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AY Honors/Waterfalls/Answer Key