eli5: How long will it take for a waterfall to run out of water and how does it originate?
In: Earth Science
That’s not an answerable question – it depends on the size and source of the waterfall. Some are fed by ice melt or by springs, and don’t usually run dry. Others are fed by rivers, and may go dry if there’s a drought. Others are fed just by rain, and don’t last long.
A waterfall is just a height drop in the geography of a river. There’s nothing special about it compared to any other section of the river. It runs out of water when the river runs out.
The water comes from rain or from springs out of the ground (which originally came from rain). They can and do dry up when the water source stops. Texas has many dry creeks (and waterfalls) in the summer. Even big waterfalls like Victoria Falls can have a huge difference between rainy and dry season. (https://wild-wings-safaris.com/blog/has-victoria-falls-dried-up)
Waterfalls are just rivers that are temporarily very steep. I presume the basis of your question is just “But how does the water get up there?” If so, the answer is quite simple: rain.
The water cycles is that there is a lot of the water in the seas and oceans. The sun heats them up, and causes some of it to evaporate. This goes in to the sky and forms clouds. Then, the clouds will eventually ‘burst’, leading to rain/sleet/snow/hail/fog. This brings the water back down to the ground. Some of it will land back in the ocean. But some of it will fall onto higher ground. Then, this water gradually trickles across the ground until it gathers in streams. Streams combine to form rivers, and the rivers eventually lead back to the sea. Sometimes, there is other stuff along the route. For example, a lake. Lakes are just big holes in the middle of a river. There’ll be a river feeding in to the lake, and a river feeding out of it. Sometimes the water gets diverted through irrigation systems, or through pipes for drinking and so on, but ultimately it all goes back to the sea. And there, the cycle begins anew.
Latest Answers