Erosional Landform

Waterfalls

 

The Alternation fashion of rocks from hard to soft is known as waterfalls. Waterfalls are spectacular displays of the beauty and power of nature.  The waterfall are caused because of sudden brakes in longitudinal course of the rivers due to a host of factors that are

•         Variation in the relative resistance of Rock,

•         Relatively difference in topographic reliefs,

•        Fall in the sea level and related rejuvenation,

•         Earth movement etc.

The highest waterfall in the world is Angel Falls in Venezuela at a height of over 3000 feet. A fall that descends in a series is referred to as a cascade Gerosoppa (Jog) waterfall in the Sawarmati River in Karnataka is the highest waterfall in India.

Waterfalls may at first start off as rapids. The river flows over the hard rock while the soft rock beneath gets eroded. The erosion of the soft rock occurs more quickly than the hard rock, and this result in the hard rock being elevated above the stream bed which sits below. The erosion process of the rocks varies with the strength and density of the rock and the pace of the flowing river.

 Types of waterfalls

•        Cascades

Its step like waterfalls.Cascade waterfall especially a series of small falls, consisting of water descending over rocks or boulders. It may be natural or it may be artificial. The cascade has often been used as a feature of formal gardens.

•        Canadian waterfalls

The top rock formation was composed of erosion-resistant limestone and dolodtone. That hard layer of stone eroded more slowly than the underlying materials. Best example is Niagara Falls.

•        Chute waterfalls

This is formed by vertical erosion and basically goes out from very narrow path. A large quantity of water forced through a narrow, vertical passage is known as chute waterfalls.

•        Horsetails waterfalls

Descending water maintains contact with bedrock most of the time (e.g. Jog Falls).

•        Twin pool waterfalls

Twin Falls was a waterfall that was so named because it used to have two side-by-side plunges at a split.

Note

Niagara Falls was formed when glaciers receded at the end of the Wisconsin glaciations (the last ice age).