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waterfall
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Images & Videos
View an Icelandic waterfall and learn about its geologic life cycle and erosion into a smooth riverbed
Linville Gorge, Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina: waterfall Angel Falls cascades from a high cliff into lush green forest below, surrounded by dramatic rock formations in Canaima National Park, Venezuela.
Visit the world's highest waterfall, Angel Falls, in the Guiana Highlands of Venezuela on the Churún River
Niagara Falls View of Yosemite Falls in Yosemite National Park, with Upper Yosemite Fall cascading down a high cliff and Lower Yosemite Fall visible below, framed by green trees. Wales Changbai Mountains Churchill Falls, western Labrador, Can. Clements Mountain, Glacier National Park
At a Glance
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waterfall summary
Quizzes
Taj Mahal, Agra, India. UNESCO World Heritage Site (minarets; Muslim, architecture; Islamic architecture; marble; mausoleum)
Wonders of the World Quiz
water glass on white background. (drink; clear; clean water; liquid)
Water and its Varying Forms
Mt. Elbrusvolcano, Western Caucasus mountain range, Russia. (dormant Russia)
Natural Wonders
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waterfall

geology
Also known as: falls
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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•History

waterfall, area where flowing river water drops abruptly and nearly vertically (see video). Waterfalls represent major interruptions in river flow. Under most circumstances, rivers tend to smooth out irregularities in their flow by processes of erosion and deposition. In time, the long profile of a river (the graph of its gradient) takes the form of a smooth curve, steepest toward the source, gentlest toward the mouth. Waterfalls interrupt this curve, and their presence is a...

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