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| − | :::''For other uses see [[Waterfall (disambiguation)]]''
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| − | {{unreferenced|article|date=March 2007}}
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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.
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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 [[landslide]]s, [[Geologic fault|fault]]s or [[volcano|volcanic action]].
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| − | Waterfalls may also be artificial, and they are sometimes created as [[garden]] and [[landscape]] ornaments.
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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 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 splashback, will occur here to form a shallow cave-like formation known as a [[rock shelter]] (also known as a rock house or plunge pool) 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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| − | 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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| − | 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]]. this is true
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| − | ==Types of waterfalls==
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| − | [[Image:Havasu_Falls_1a_md.jpg|thumb|250px|right|[[Havasu Falls]], near Supai, Arizona, is an example of a plunge waterfall]]
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| − | [[Image:HPIM1262.JPG|thumb|250px|right|[[Powerscourt Waterfall]], near [[Enniskerry]], [[County Wicklow|Wicklow County]], is an example of a horsetail waterfall]]
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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.
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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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| − | Religion is a phucking azz joke.
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| − | ==Examples of large waterfalls==
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| − | :{{main|List of waterfalls}}
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| − | Significant waterfalls include these alphabetically:
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| − | * [[Angel Falls]], the world's highest at 979 [[metre]]s (3212 [[Foot (unit of length)|feet]]), in [[Venezuela]]
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| − | * [[Cascata delle Marmore]] in [[Italy]] is the tallest man-made waterfall in the world
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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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| − | * [[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)
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| − | * [[High Force]] on the [[River Tees]] is one of the tallest waterfalls in England
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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 eight highest (listed as 313 ranking on the World Waterfall Database), located in [[Karnataka]] state, [[India]]
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| − | * [[Jurong Falls]] in [[Singapore]] is the tallest artificial waterfall in Asia
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| − | * [[Niagara Falls]] is the most powerful falls in North America
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| − | * [[Ramnefjellsfossen]], the world's third highest at 808 m (2685 ft), at [[Stryn]], Nesdalen, Norway
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| − | * [[Rhine Falls]], Europe's largest, located in [[Switzerland]]
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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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| − | * [[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]].
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| − | * [[Yosemite Falls]], arguably the tallest in [[North America]], located in [[Yosemite National Park]], [[United States]]
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| − | == See also ==
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| − | *[[Water feature]]
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| − | Upper Bridal Veil Falls: 100ft tall 50ft wide
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| − | Multnomah Falls: 611ft tall 30ft wide
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| − | ==External links==
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| − | {{commons|waterfall}}
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| − | *[http://www.world-waterfalls.com/ World Waterfall Database]
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| − | [[Category:Waterfalls|*]]
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| − | [[Category:Ecology]]
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| − | [[Category:Ecotourism]]
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| − | [[ar:شلال]]
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| − | [[zh-min-nan:Chúi-chhiâng]]
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| − | [[bg:Водопад]]
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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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| − | [[et:Juga]]
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| − | [[el:Καταρράκτης]]
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| − | [[es:Cascada]]
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| − | [[eo:Akvofalo]]
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| − | [[eu:Ur-jauzi]]
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| − | [[fr:Chute d'eau]]
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| − | [[gl:Fervenza]]
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| − | [[gu:ધોધ]]
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| − | [[ko:폭포]]
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| − | [[id:Air terjun]]
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| − | [[is:Foss]]
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| − | [[it:Cascata]]
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| − | [[he:מפל מים]]
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| − | [[hi:झरना]]
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| − | [[la:Aqua cadens]]
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| − | [[nl:Waterval]]
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| − | [[ja:滝]]
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| − | [[no:Foss]]
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| − | [[pl:Wodospad]]
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| − | [[pt:Queda de água]]
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| − | [[qu:Phaqcha]]
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| − | [[ru:Водопад]]
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| − | [[simple:Waterfall]]
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| − | [[sk:Vodopád]]
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| − | [[sl:Slap]]
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| − | [[su:Curug]]
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| − | [[fi:Vesiputous]]
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| − | [[sv:Vattenfall]]
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| − | [[vi:Thác]]
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| − | [[chr:ᎠᎹᏍᎧᎦᎯ]]
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| − | [[tr:Şelâle]]
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| − | [[uk:Водоспад]]
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| − | [[zh:瀑布]]
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