Waterfalls
In the River and Stream honor, We mentioned riffles, rapids and whitewater, but sometimes water has an even more dramatic experience as it flows down a river. Waterfalls are just what the name implies - places where water falls. Traditional waterfalls are formed due to irregular erosion of different rock layers. As the water flows over the surface, it begins to erode the softer layers of rock faster than the harder layers. This may cause the softer layers to cut back, creating a drop-off. In some cases (like at Hamilton Pool), it leaves an OVERHANGING LEDGE.
One of the most common forms of waterfalls are CASCADES. Cascade waterfalls don’t really fall as much as they seem to tumble down slopes or steps. As waterfalls shift to a more vertical drop, they may be classified as Plunge or Horsetail waterfalls. PLUNGE falls are what people often think of as waterfalls - the water doesn’t touch the rock face during its fall. HORSETAIL waterfalls, on the other hand, generally retain contact with the cliff face as they fall. Sometimes waterfalls are described by other features. TIERED waterfalls are those that appear to be made up of several waterfalls, one atop the other. SEGMENTED waterfalls are formed with rocks or other debris separate the flow of a river over a waterfall, splitting the waterfall. If two or more rivers fall over the same set of rocks aside one another, this is called a PARALLEL or TWIN waterfall. Another type of waterfall is a CHUTE waterfall, where the water runs through a narrow channel at high velocity. The lower falls at Bull Creek is a chute waterfall. If a wide river goes over the cliff, usually in a single broad sheet, it is called a BLOCK waterfall. These are usually wider than they are tall. The slopes over which waterfalls fall can also be divided into two general categories; SCREE are sections of rock sloping up to 30 degrees, TALUS are steeper sections of cliffs, with a slope greater than 60 degrees. A waterfall may be more than one type, or may be characterized by the amount of water rather than the shape (a CASCADE, for example, is a very powerful waterfall, like Niagara Falls). But as we noted, the thing they all have in common is that the water “falls” down a slope or over a cliff. A Few Waterfalls - Can you identify the type?
Comparing some waterfalls, both in Texas and around the world
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Waterfalls
1. Define the following types of waterfalls and give one example of each.
Block, Cascade, Horsetail, Plunge, Segmented, Tiered 2. Choose 10 waterfalls, including 2 from near the area or state in which you live, and list the following information about them: Name, Total Height, Waterfall Type, Watercourse, Location. 3. Complete two of the following activities. a. Visit a waterfall and write a paragraph telling about your experience. b. Choose a waterfall (other than ones in #2) of interest to you and record facts and interesting information about the falls that you have selected. c. Watch a video about a waterfall. d. Make a scrapbook about waterfalls. Include pictures of waterfalls and important information about each one. This may be a group project. e. Using the information provided, create a crossword or word search puzzle: Angel/Tallest waterfall in the world at 3212 feet. Browne/Tallest waterfall in New Zealand. Dettifoss/Waterfall flowing from a glacier in Iceland. Havasu/Waterfall on an Indian reservation in Arizona. Huangguoshu/Largest waterfall in China. Iguazu/275 falls on the border of Argentina and Brazil. Langfoss/Giant cascade in Norway, falling 2008 feet. Mardalsfossen/Well known tiered waterfall in Norway. Multnomah/Tiered waterfall along the Columbia Gorge in Oregon. Niagara/Most powerful waterfall in North America. Shomyo/Tallest year-round falls in Japan. Takkakaw/Cree Indian name for a waterfall in British Columbia. Tugela/2nd tallest waterfall in the world, found in South Africa. Victoria/Largest waterfall in the world. Yosemite/Popular tourist attraction in a National Park in California. Yumbilla/5th tallest waterfall in the world, 2nd tallest in Peru. 4. Water is mentioned in each of the following verses. Describe what is happening in each verse, then tell what the water symbolizes. John 9:11 John 13:5 Matthew 3:16 
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All images by R. Baker unless otherwise noted