The Shadow
Thanks to the development of satellite technology that enables scientists to study Earth from above, waterfalls beneath the surface of the sea have been discovered.
Angel Falls in Venezuela is the world’s highest waterfall on land, but at 3,212’, which is 15 times the height of Niagara Falls, Angel Falls is dwarfed by the Denmark Strait Cataract that cannot be seen without the use of scientific equipment. The Demark Strait Cataract has been measured at 11,500’ from where it plunges underwater to where it reaches the ocean floor.
The cause of the Denmark Strait Cataract, located between Greenland and Iceland in the Atlantic, is that colder water from the Nordic Seas flows south where it meets warmer, less dense water from the Irminger Sea, causing the cold water to plunge downward to the ocean floor. Since the falls take place underwater, the Denmark Strait Cataract has only been discovered recently by scientists using satellite imagery,
The Denmark Strait Cataract has been measured to plunge 175 million cubic feet of water per second, making it 350 times more voluminous than the Guaira Falls between Brazil and Paraguay which was once considered the most voluminous waterfall on Earth prior to it drying up.
Compared to Niagara Falls, the most voluminous waterfall on land is Angel Falls in South Africa. Angel Falls is considered to be the highest waterfalls in the world located on land, and Niagara only deposits 2,407 cubic meters of water per second compared to 100,000 cubic feet per second by Angel Falls.
Niagara delivers more than twice the volume of water per second than does the Victoria Falls located between Zimbabwe and Zambia in South Africa. However, at the height of 108 meters, Victoria Falls towers above Niagara. Scientists, therefore, consider Victoria Falls to be the largest waterfall on Earth that is located on land. Although it is not the highest waterfall nor the widest waterfall, its combined height and width total more than any other land-based waterfall.
There are other undersea waterfalls too. For example, water in the Mediterranean Sea has a higher density than the water of the Atlantic, and when the two meet, a cataract is formed by the contrasting waters.
Falling Spring Falls in Alleghany County that plummets 80’ has been reported to have been 200’ high earlier in history. Now, it is listed as the fourth highest waterfall in Va. behind Crabtree Falls in the George Washington National Park in Nelson County, the falls include a series of five cascades that drop 400’ to make it one of the highest waterfalls east of the Mississippi River.
Bent Mountain Falls is tied for the second highest with a 200’ drop at its location in the Bottom Creek Gorge Preserve, the same height listed for Apple Orchard Falls near Buchanan and the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Falling Spring Falls is a tourist attraction located in Alleghany County adjacent to U.S. 220 North between Covington and Hot Springs in Bath County, and the area is managed by Douthat State Park which is located in both Bath and Alleghany counties.
The Demark Strait Cataract plunges more water per second than all of the falls in Virginia combined pour per second and is higher than all of Virginia’s waterfalls combined.
