Jump to content

List of waterfalls by type

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The following is a list of waterfalls by type.

  • Plunge: Water descends vertically, losing contact with the bedrock surface.[1]
  • Horsetail: Descending water maintains some contact with bedrock.[1]
  • Cataract: A large, powerful waterfall.[1]
  • Multi-step: A series of waterfalls one after another of roughly the same size each with its own sunken plunge pool.[1]
  • Block: Water descends from a relatively wide stream or river.[1][2]
  • Cascade: Water descends a series of rock steps.[1][2]
  • Segmented: Distinctly separate flows of water form as it descends.[1]
  • Tiered: Water drops in a series of distinct steps or falls.[1]
  • Punchbowl: Water descends in a constricted form and then spreads out in a wider pool.[1]
  • Fan: Water spreads horizontally as it descends while remaining in contact with bedrock.[1]

Some waterfalls are also distinct in that they do not flow continuously. Ephemeral waterfalls only flow after a rain or a significant snowmelt.[3][4][5]

Plunge

[edit]

Water descends vertically, losing contact with the bedrock surface.

Australia

[edit]
Fitzroy Falls

Bangladesh

[edit]

Brazil

[edit]

Canada

[edit]
Brandywine Falls

Costa Rica

[edit]

Estonia

[edit]

Finland

[edit]
Pitsusköngäs, a plunge-type waterfall in Enontekiö, Finland.

France

[edit]

Guyana

[edit]

Hungary

[edit]

Iceland

[edit]
Öxarárfoss
Skógafoss

India

[edit]
Jog Falls, India's second highest plunge waterfall, is made up of four distinct, segmented falls, and is fed by the Sharavathi River. The tallest plunges 830 ft (253 m) into a deep chasm in a continuous column of water.

Indonesia

[edit]
Sipisopiso

Japan

[edit]

Lesotho

[edit]

Mexico

[edit]

Mongolia

[edit]
Ulaan tsutgalan in Mongolia During Summer 2023, the background is showing more geological structures formations and farther geological features

Nepal

[edit]
Pachal waterfall, a plunge Waterfall with height 482 m located at Kalikot District


New Zealand

[edit]
Bridal Veil Falls

Norway

[edit]
Aerial video of Waterfall Bluff in South Africa.

South Africa

[edit]

Sri Lanka

[edit]

Taiwan

[edit]

Uganda

[edit]
Sipi Falls

United Kingdom

[edit]
Pistyll Rhaeadr

United States

[edit]
Havasu Falls
Looking Glass Falls

Venezuela

[edit]

Zambia

[edit]

Horsetail

[edit]

Descending water maintains some contact with bedrock.

Australia

[edit]

Bosnia and Herzegovina

[edit]

Bulgaria

[edit]
Skakavitsa Waterfall, Rila Mountain, Bulgaria in May

Canada

[edit]
Takakkaw Falls

Iceland

[edit]

India

[edit]
Manikyadhara Falls
Sogal Falls
Thalaiyar Falls

Ireland

[edit]

Lesotho

[edit]

New Zealand

[edit]
Humboldt Falls

North Macedonia

[edit]

Norway

[edit]
Sava Bohinjka

Philippines

[edit]
Maria Cristina Falls
Pagsanjan Falls

Slovenia

[edit]

South Africa

[edit]
Howick Falls

Sri Lanka

[edit]
Elgin Falls

Switzerland

[edit]

United Kingdom

[edit]

United States

[edit]
Nevada Falls
Hiilawe Waterfall

Cataract

[edit]

A large, powerful waterfall.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

[edit]

Mali

[edit]

Zambia/Zimbabwe

[edit]

India

[edit]
Chitrakot
Gokak Falls
Tirparappu Waterfalls

Indonesia

[edit]

Argentina/Brazil

[edit]
Devil's Throat, Iguaçu fall's largest cataract

Multi-step

[edit]

A series of waterfalls one after another of roughly the same size each with its own sunken plunge pool.

Bulgaria

[edit]
The Popinolashki waterfall

Ghana

[edit]
Kintampo waterfalls

Morocco

[edit]

Japan

[edit]
Fukuroda Falls

Estonia

[edit]

Iceland

[edit]

Block

[edit]

Water descends from a relatively wide stream or river.

Ethiopia

[edit]
Huangguoshu Waterfall

Cambodia

[edit]

China

[edit]

India

[edit]

Korea

[edit]

Zambia

[edit]

Bosnia and Herzegovina

[edit]

Iceland

[edit]

Switzerland

[edit]
Rhine Falls

Turkey

[edit]

United Kingdom

[edit]

Canada

[edit]
Niagara Falls

Mexico

[edit]
Agua Azul

United States

[edit]

Australia

[edit]
Millstream Falls

Brazil

[edit]

Cascade

[edit]

Water descends a series of rock steps.

Australia

[edit]
Lady Barron Falls

Austria

[edit]
Krimmler Wasserfälle

Canada

[edit]
Elbow Falls

China

[edit]

Finland

[edit]

Germany

[edit]

Iceland

[edit]
Barnafossar

India

[edit]
Chunchanakatte Falls
Irupu Falls
Jog Falls
Hanumangundi Falls
Kiliyur Falls
Courtallam falls
Monkey Falls
Ullakaarvi falls

Jamaica

[edit]

Laos

[edit]
Khone Phapheng Falls

New Zealand

[edit]
Tarawera Falls

North Macedonia

[edit]

Norway

[edit]

Philippines

[edit]

Russia

[edit]

Sri Lanka

[edit]

South Africa

[edit]
Augrabies Falls

United Kingdom

[edit]
Catrake Force

United States

[edit]
Eastatoe Falls
Roaring Fork Falls
Kepler Cascades

Uganda

[edit]

Venezuela

[edit]

Segmented

[edit]

Distinctly separate flows of water form as it descends.

Australia

[edit]

Bulgaria

[edit]
Etropole Waterfall Varovitets
Krushuna Falls

Canada

[edit]
Horseshoe Falls

Chile

[edit]

China

[edit]

Colombia

[edit]

Estonia

[edit]

Iceland

[edit]
Hraunfossar

India

[edit]
Magod Falls
Lushington Falls
Shivanasamudra Falls
Sathodi Falls
Athirappilly Falls
Meenmutty Falls
Agaya Gangai
Hogenakkal Falls
Suruli Falls
Vattaparai Falls
Keoti Falls

Iran

[edit]

Japan

[edit]

Namibia

[edit]

North Macedonia

[edit]

Norway

[edit]

Thailand

[edit]

Turkey

[edit]
Düden Waterfalls

United Kingdom

[edit]

United States

[edit]
Dry Falls

Tiered

[edit]

Water drops in a series of distinct steps or falls.

Australia

[edit]
Ebor Falls

Belize

[edit]

Canada

[edit]
Alexander Falls

Czech Republic

[edit]

France

[edit]
Gavarnie Falls

Germany

[edit]

India

[edit]
Dudhsagar Falls
Hebbe Falls
Soochipara Falls

Indonesia

[edit]

Italy

[edit]

North Macedonia

[edit]

Norway

[edit]

Peru

[edit]

Sri Lanka

[edit]

Switzerland

[edit]
Trümmelbach Falls

Thailand

[edit]

United Kingdom

[edit]

United States

[edit]
Yosemite Falls

Punchbowl

[edit]

Water descends in a constricted form and then spreads out in a wider pool.

Nunobiki Falls
Camaya Falls

Australia

[edit]

Bulgaria

[edit]

Canada

[edit]

Iceland

[edit]

Japan

[edit]

Korea

[edit]

Philippines

[edit]

United Kingdom

[edit]

United States

[edit]

Fan

[edit]

Water spreads horizontally as it descends while remaining in contact with bedrock.

Cola de Caballo
Yudaki Falls

Australia

[edit]

Canada

[edit]

Japan

[edit]

Mexico

[edit]

Philippines

[edit]

United States

[edit]

Ephemeral

[edit]

Ephemeral waterfalls flow only after periods of heavy rain or significant snowmelt.

An example of an ephemeral waterfall. This one, when flowing, feeds into the Chagrin River (Ohio).

United States

[edit]

Bulgaria

[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j What is a Waterfall? archived from the original 2011-07-18, retrieved 2012-07-18
  2. ^ a b "Howstuffworks "How Waterfalls Work"". Archived from the original on 2010-09-21. Retrieved 2011-09-20.
  3. ^ https://www.terragalleria.com Ephemeral waterfall seen from inside cave. Mammoth Cave National Park.
  4. ^ https://www.kidsdiscover.com About Horsetail Falls, One of Yosemite's Ephemeral Waterfalls.
  5. ^ https://www.wncwaterfalls Bird Rock Falls.
[edit]