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| − | {{otheruses}}
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| − | :''Waterfalls redirects here. For the Paul McCartney single, see [[Waterfalls (Paul McCartney song)]]''.
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| − | [[Image:Hopetoun falls.jpg|thumb|right|350px|Hopetoun Falls near [[Otway National Park]], [[Victoria, Australia|Victoria]], [[Australia]]]]
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| − | 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. Waterfalls may also be artificial, and they are sometimes created as [[garden]] and [[landscape]] ornament.
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| − | 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 [[thrust fault]]s or [[volcano|volcanic action]].
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| − | The hobby of [[falls bagging]] is blossoming in many parts of the world.
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| − | ==Formation ==
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| − | [[Image:Waterfall formation23.png|thumb|350px|right|Formation of a waterfall]]
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| − | Typically, a stream flow across an area of formations strata will form shelves across the streamway, elevated above the further stream bed when the less erosion-resistant rock around it disappears. 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]] just below the more resistant shelf will be of a softer type, meaning undercutting, due to splashback, will occur here to form a shallow cave-like formation known as a [[rock shelter]] (also known as a rock house) under and behind the waterfall. Eventually, the outcropping, more resistant cap rock will collapse under pressure to add blocks of rock to the base of the waterfall. These blocks of rock are then broken down into smaller boulders by attrition as they collide with each other, and they also erode the base of the waterfall by abrasion, creating a deep plunge pool.
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| − | Waterfalls can also form due to glaciation, 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.
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| − | 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.
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| − | [[Image:Havasu_Falls_1a_md.jpg|thumb|260px|left|[[Havasu Falls]], near Supai, Arizona, is an example of a plunge waterfall.]]
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| − | ==Types of waterfalls==
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| − | ; Block : Water descends from a relatively wide stream or river.
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| − | ; Cascade : Water descends a series of rock steps.
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| − | ; Cataract : A large waterfall. See [[Cataracts of the Nile]] for a well-known sequence of six.
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| − | ; Fan : Water spreads horizontally as it descends while remaining in contact with [[bedrock]].
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| − | ; Horsetail : Descending water maintains some contact with bedrock.
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| − | ; Plunge : Water descends vertically, losing contact with the bedrock surface.
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| − | ; Punchbowl : Water descends in a constricted form, then spreads out in a wider pool.
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| − | ; Segmented : Distinctly separate flows of water form as it descends.
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| − | ; Tiered : Water drops in a series of distinct steps or falls.
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| − | ; Multi step : A series of waterfalls one after another of roughly the same size each with its own sunken plunge pool.
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| − | {{-}}
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| − | ==Examples of large waterfalls==
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| − | {{main|List of waterfalls}}
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| − | * [[Angel Falls]], the world's highest at 979 m (3212 ft), in [[Venezuela]]
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| − | * [[Tugela Falls]], the world's second highest at 947 m (3110 ft), in [[KwaZulu-Natal]] province, Republic of [[South Africa]].
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| − | * [[Ramnefjellsfossen]], the world's third highest at 808m (2685 ft), at [[Stryn]], Nesdalen, Norway.
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| − | * [[Victoria Falls]], the world's widest, on the [[Zambezi River]], on the border between [[Zambia]] and [[Zimbabwe]]
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| − | * [[Boyoma Falls]], with the world's highest volume, 17,000 m³/s (600,000 ft³/s), on the [[Congo River]], [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
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| − | * [[Gocta]], the fifth highest in the world at 771 m (2533 ft), located in the province [[Chachapoyas Province|Chachapoyas]], [[Peru]]
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| − | * [[Yosemite Falls]], arguably the tallest in [[North America]], located in [[Yosemite National Park]], [[United States]]
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| − | * [[Niagara Falls]], most voluminous in North America, on the border between the United States and [[Canada]]
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| − | * [[Rhine Falls]], Europe's largest, located in [[Switzerland]]
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| − | * [[Iguazu Falls]], a tall and extremely wide fall located in [[South America]] on the [[Argentina]]/[[Brazil]] border
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| − | * [[Jog Falls]], India's highest and second highest in [[Asia]], located in [[Karnataka]] state, [[India]]
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| − | * [[Jurong Falls]] in [[Singapore]] is said to be the tallest man-made waterfall in the world
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| − | ==External links==
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| − | {{commons|waterfall}}
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| − | *[http://v.webring.com/hub?ring=waterfallsring Waterfalls WebRing]
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| − | *[http://www.world-waterfalls.com/ World Waterfall Database]
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| − | *[http://www.worldwaterfalls.com/ WorldWaterfalls.com - Stock Waterfall Photos, Waterfall Information, Waterfall Forum]
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| − | *[http://www.panoramas.dk/fullscreen3/f44_niagara.html Niagara Falls - Fullscreen QTVR Panorama]
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| − | *[http://waterfalls-victoria.blogspot.com/ Waterfalls of Victoria (Australia)]
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| − | *[http://www.taswaterfalls.com Waterfalls of Tasmania, (Australia)]
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| − | *[http://vizeses.lap.hu/ Waterfalls of the world, links]
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| − | *[http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Waterfalltalk WaterfallTalk Mailing List]
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| − | *[http://www.taquarussu.com Cachoeiras of Taquaruçu (TO, Brazil)]
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| − | *[http://www.worldwidewaterfalls.com/Images/europe/norway/norway_indexmain.htm Waterfalls of Norway]
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| − | [[Category:Waterfalls|*]]
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| − | [[su:Curug]]
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| − | [[ca:Cascada]]
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| − | [[cs:Vodopád]]
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| − | [[da:Vandfald]]
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| − | [[de:Wasserfall]]
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| − | [[es:Cascada]]
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| − | [[fr:Chute d'eau]]
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| − | [[is:Foss]]
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| − | [[it:Cascata]]
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| − | [[he:מפל מים]]
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| − | [[la:Cataracta]]
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| − | [[simple:Waterfall]]
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| − | [[sl:Slap]]
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| − | [[sv:Vattenfall]]
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| − | [[vi:Thác]]
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| − | [[tr:Şelâle]]
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| − | [[uk:Водоспад]]
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