Ep. 196: World’s Tallest Natural Waterfalls – Top 6
Intro
Hello and welcome to this episode of the podcast, "The Mnemonic Tree", where we add a single mnemonic leaf to our Tree of Knowledge.
I’m Jans, your Mnemonic Man, and today's episode will be on some of nature’s most stunning geological formations, natural waterfalls.
Occurring all around the world in diverse environments, waterfalls are created by processes such as erosion, tectonic activity, and glacial movements. Waterfalls vary greatly in size, shape, and water volume. Some examples of the greatest waterfalls on planet Earth are:
· Niagara Falls, which is on the border of the USA and Canada. It is one of the most powerful and visually stunning waterfalls in the world, which comprises the Horseshoe, American, and Bridal Veil Falls. It is a major tourist destination, with boat rides, observation decks, and night illumination.
· Iguazu Falls, which is a jaw-dropping series of 275 waterfalls along the Iguazu River on the Argentinian and Brazilian border. It is known for its sheer size and the dramatic "Devil’s Throat" chasm, and is deservedly a UNESCO World Heritage site.
· Victoria Falls, which is also called "The Smoke That Thunders," which spans the Zambezi River, between Zambia and Zimbabwe. It is one of the world’s largest waterfalls by combined width and height. Famous for its misty spray and roaring sound, it is also a UNESCO World Heritage site, which offers bungee jumping and whitewater rafting for the more adventurous.
· And finally, Angel Falls in Venezuela, which is the tallest natural waterfall on earth, at 979 metres. Its remote location in the jungle augments its mystique and wonder, and was named after aviator James Angel, who was the first person to fly over the falls
Today’s mnemonic will be on the top 6 tallest natural waterfalls.
So, with that being said, we will begin with a summary from Wikipedia.
Wikipedia Summary
A waterfall is any point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf.
Waterfalls can be formed in several ways, but the most common method of formation is that a river courses over a top layer of resistant bedrock before falling onto softer rock, which erodes faster, leading to an increasingly high fall. Waterfalls have been studied for their impact on species living in and around them.
Humans have had a distinct relationship with waterfalls since prehistory, travelling to see them, exploring, and naming them. They can present formidable barriers to navigation along rivers. Waterfalls are religious sites in many cultures.
Since the 18th century, they have received increased attention as tourist destinations, sources of hydropower, and—particularly since the mid-20th century—as subjects of research.
Definition and terminology
A waterfall is generally defined as a point in a river where water flows over a steep drop that is close to or directly vertical. In 2000, Mabin specified that "The horizontal distance between the positions of the lip and plunge pool should be no more than c 25% of the waterfall height."
Extracted from: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterfall]
Mnemonic
World’s Tallest Natural Waterfalls – Top 6 Mnemonic – Angel TTOYS
(Picture a plane full of toys crashing at the catchment of Angel Falls, and all toys taking the 979-metre drop)
1. Angel Falls - Venezuela
2. Tugela Falls – South Africa
3. Tres Hermanas Falls – Peru
4. Olo’upena Falls – Hawaii
5. Yumbilla Falls – Peru
6. Skorga Falls– Norway
Five Fun Facts
1. Waterfalls can be classified by type, of which there are many. A waterfall may also fit into more than one category or type. Some types of waterfalls include:
· Ledge waterfalls that descend vertically over a cliff
· Block waterfalls that descend from a wide stream or river
· Cascade waterfalls that descend over a series of rock steps
· Cataract waterfalls are large, powerful, and dangerous
· Chute waterfalls force a large amount of water through a narrow passage
· Fan waterfalls are shaped like the name suggests
· Frozen waterfalls will freeze over for part of the year
· And, multi-step falls, which are a series of waterfalls falling one after the other, each with its own plunge pool
2. Niagara Falls is the largest in North America by volume and by width. It is located on the border of Ontario, Canada, and New York, USA. This iconic waterfall is divided into three sections: the American Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, and Horseshoe Falls. It was created around 12,000 years ago by a glacier, but is predicted to be gone in around 50,000 years due to the present rate of erosion.
3. The third fact is absolutely amazing and is about a fish called the inching climber, a fish that can climb waterfalls. These fish climb waterfalls using suction cups on their chest and mouth to reach their freshwater spawning area. This type of gobi fish, which is found in Hawaii, can climb the equivalent of a human climbing Mount Everest three times, in a relatively short period.
4. Now from stupendous to absolutely bat shit crazy, we go to Will Gadd’s ice climb of Niagara Falls back in January 2015. The climb took place on the American side of the falls on the ice-covered rock wall next to the Horseshoe Falls. And just to add to the crazy, he was followed by his partner, Canadian climber Sarah Hueniken!
5. The Last fact is on a waterfall of a different type, and it takes us to the Guizhou Province in China, where they built a waterfall into a skyscraper. The building is the Liebian Building, and the waterfall stands at 350 feet high. It is powered by four pumps, which cost approximately $118 per hour to run.
Three-Question Quiz
Q.1. Which waterfall is located on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe in Africa?
Q.2. As the soft rock continues to erode, what is formed at the foot of a waterfall? Options are a delta, an impact zone, or a plunge pool
Q.3. Where are waterfalls usually found? The lower course of a river or the upper course of a river?
Bonus Q. What is the process called when a waterfall moves further back up the river towards its source? Hint: it starts with an R
Bonus Q. Why did the waterfall break up with the river?
Mnemonic Recap
World’s Tallest Natural Waterfalls – Top 6 Mnemonic – Angel TTOYS
(Picture a plane full of toys crashing at the catchment of Angel Falls, and all toys taking the 979-metre drop)
1. Angel Falls - Venezuela
2. Tugela Falls – South Africa
3. Tres Hermanas Falls – Peru
4. Olo’upena Falls – Hawaii
5. Yumbilla Falls – Peru
6. Skorga Falls– Norway
Three-Question Quiz Answers
Q.1. Which waterfall is located on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe in Africa?
A. Victoria Falls
Q.2. As the soft rock continues to erode, what is formed at the foot of a waterfall? Options are a delta, an impact zone, or a plunge pool
A. A plunge pool
Q.3. Where are waterfalls usually found? The lower course of a river or the upper course of a river?
A. The upper course of a river, as the water travels more quickly
Bonus Q. What is the process called when a waterfall moves further back up the river towards its source? Hint: it starts with an R
A. Retreat
Bonus Q. Why did the waterfall break up with the river?
A. Because it felt like it was going over the edge!
Word of the Week
equiponderate
[ ee-kwuh-pon-duh-reyt ]
verb
to counterbalance or offset in weight, force, or importance
Example
The twin waterfalls equiponderate in both height and volume, creating a breathtakingly symmetrical display.
Extracted from: [https://www.dictionary.com/]
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References
https://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/earth/waterfalls.html
https://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/quizshow.php?title=how-waterfalls-are-formed&q=12
https://www.funtrivia.com/trivia-quiz/Geography/Waterfalls-of-the-World-121310.html
https://chatgpt.com/c/685544b1-2bd8-8010-afee-fbf1a8cbadff