A waterfall is a place where a stream or river flows water from a higher elevation to a lower one, with a steep angle and swift water flow that can create waves and whirlpools.
Russell Falls, Mount Field National Park, Australia.
Classification of waterfalls:
- Multi-tiered waterfalls: This type of waterfall features a large flow of water cascading over multiple steps or tiers of rock.
- Large waterfalls: These colossal waterfalls are created by major rivers flowing through complex terrain.
The existence of waterfalls is due to rivers encountering hard rock that has not yet been eroded away. Along with the erosion of softer rocks, this creates lower and higher levels, known as the stratification of the river.
Additionally, geological processes can create faults that push the upstream section of the river higher and drop the downstream section, leading to the formation of waterfalls.
Waterfalls can be found not only on the surface but also underground. Aquifers can give rise to underground rivers; when these rivers encounter suddenly descending terrain, underground waterfalls can also form. The water of these waterfalls is the water from the river flowing through that terrain.
