Waterfalls are known for their majestic beauty and thunderous power.
They are considered one of the most spectacular natural sights on earth. But how are these awe-inspiring waterfalls formed? There are three main ways that waterfalls can form.
The first is when a river flows over a dolomite rock wall and falls into a large pool below, as is the case with Niagara Falls.
The tumbling water constantly erodes the shale, creating caverns in the dolomite. As pieces of dolomite crumble and fall, the cliffs remain steep, allowing the waterfall to continue to exist.
The second way that waterfalls can form is when a large chunk of melted rock is squeezed up from below in ancient times. Over time, this rock hardens and forms a wall in the river, creating a waterfall.
The third way that waterfalls can form is when an ancient glacier cuts into a valley, creating cliffs on both sides. The movement of the earth's surface can also cause plateaus to rise, and if a river is located on its edge, a waterfall can form on the plateau.
The volume of water in the river determines the size and spectacle of the waterfall. If the volume of water is large, the waterfall will be spectacular, and the sound of the water can be heard from several thousand meters away.
The splashing water can also create a large white mist, making for a breathtaking scene. In mountainous areas, streams or springs can also form smaller waterfalls.
Although these waterfalls may not have a large volume of water, they are still uniquely beautiful as droplets fall from high cliffs in silky streams.
The larger the waterfall, the greater its potential energy, making it ideal for power generation. This is why many places build hydroelectric power stations to take advantage of natural waterfalls.
After a hydroelectric power station is built, an artificial waterfall can also be created at its discharge gate.
One may wonder if a waterfall will ever run out or disappear. To answer this question, we must consider two factors: where the waterfall's water comes from and whether the terrain will change.
As long as there is water in the river upstream of the waterfall, it will continue to flow and form a waterfall due to the drop in elevation. Unless the river is cut off, the waterfall will not run out of water.
However, even if there is still water in the river if the terrain becomes flat, the waterfall will disappear regardless of whether it "runs out" or not.
In some cases, erosion by flowing water can cause a cliff or steep bank to recede upstream or deepen downward and cut diagonally across the entire section of the river containing the waterfall.
Over time, as these factors come into play, the waterfall may fade away.
In fact, many of Earth's great waterfalls have a tendency to "recede." For example, Niagara Falls has a drop of about 50 meters today but used to have a drop of 100 meters based on rock formations located downstream.
Now, Niagara Falls is receding upstream by more than 1 meter per year and its drop is decreasing. At this rate, Niagara Falls will disappear completely in another 50,000 years.
Although all waterfalls eventually die out, new ones are born over time as geological movements cause mountains and plateaus to rise and strata to fracture and dislocate.
