Definition of a waterfall.
A waterfall is a place where water flows over a vertical drop in the course of a stream or river.
Waterfalls
Synonyms for waterfall.
Other words for watefall include: cascade, shower, torrent, white water, chute, falls, rapids,
Types of waterfall.
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Ledge waterfall: Water descends vertically over a vertical cliff, maintaining partial contact with the bedrock
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Horsetail: Descending water maintains good contact with bedrock most of the time.
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Slide: Water glides down maintaining continuous contact.
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Ribbon: Water descends over a long narrow strip.
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Staircase Waterfalls
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Cascade: Water descends a series of rock steps.
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Tiered/Multi-step/Staircase: A series of waterfalls one after another of roughly the same size each with its own sunken plunge pool.
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Cataract: A large, powerful waterfall.
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Segmented: Distinctly separate flows of water form as it descends.
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Frozen: Any waterfall which has some element of ice or snow.
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Moulin: A moulin is a waterfall in a glacier
How are waterfalls formed - video
A video demonstrating how waterfalls are formed.
Rare footage of waterfalls on Uluru in Australia after heavy rains.
Angel Falls,
Venezuala.
Tallest waterfalls in the World
Name Height Location Country
1 Angel Falls, 979 m, Canaima Nat. Park, Venezuela
2 Tugela Falls, 948 m, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
3 Tres Hermanas Falls, 914 m, Otishi Nat. Park, Peru
4 Olo'upena Falls, 900 m, Hawaii, United States
5 Yumbilla Falls, 869 m, Amazonas, Peru
6 Vinnufossen, 860 m, Møre og Romsdal, Norway
7 Balåifossen, 850 m, Hordaland, Norway
8 Pu'uka'oku Falls, 840 m, Hawaii, United States
9 James Bruce Falls, 840 m, British Columbia, Canada
10 Browne Falls, 836 m, South Island, New Zealand
Biggest waterfalls in the World
Mean annual Tallest Widest
Name flow rate [1] drop point River Country
1 Boyoma Falls 17,000, 5m, 1,372m, Lualaba, D.R. of the Congo
2 Guaíra Falls [2], 13,300, 40m, Parana, Paraguay and Brazil
3 Khone Phapheng Falls, 11,610, 21m, Mekong, Laos
4 Celilo Falls [2], 5415, 7m, 3,219m, Columbia, United States
5 Niagara Falls, 2407, 51m, 1,203m, Niagara, Canada and USA
6 Iguazú Falls, 1746, 82m, 2,700m, Iguazú, Argentina and Brazil
7 Victoria Falls, 1088, 108m, 1,708m, Zambezi, Zimbabwe and Zambia
[1] mean flow rate measured in cubic metres per second
[2] Now submerged when dam built
Case study - Iguazú Falls
Iguazú Falls
Location Argentina: Misiones Province.
Brazil: Paraná State.
Coordinates 25°41′12″S 54°26′41″W
Waterfall Type Cataract
Total height 60–82 metres
Number of drops 275
Longest drop 82 metres
Total width 2.7 kilometres
Water course Iguazu River
Average flow rate 1,756 m3/s
Case study - Niagara falls
Niagara Falls
Location Canada: Ontario,
United States: New York
Coordinates 43.0799°N 79.0747°W
Waterfall Type Cataract
Total height 51 metres (167 ft)
Number of drops 3
Longest drop 30 metres (98 ft)
Total width 2,160 metres (7,086 ft)
Water course Niagara River
Average flow rate 2,400 m3/s (85,000 cu ft/s)
Waterfall pictures
Frozen waterfall - any waterfall with
an element of ice or snow in it.
Frozen waterfall from behind
Cascade
waterfall.
Water descends a series of rock steps
Plunge waterfall. Where the water loses contact with the rock.