I’ve read that Niagara Falls erodes backwards towards Lake Erie at a rate of 3 feet per year. This means that in a few hundred, maybe thousand (maybe even longer), the falls would have eroded all the way to Lake Erie. What will happen when it does? Will the lake’s floor begin to erode as well or will the water even out? I can’t wrap my head around it.
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It’s calculated it would take 50,000 years to reach that point at present erosion rate. Of course that rate could change. But in 50,000 years there’s bound to be some other factors that would change the entire size/shape of the all the Great Lakes. That’s a long time.
It’s calculated it would take 50,000 years to reach that point at present erosion rate. Of course that rate could change. But in 50,000 years there’s bound to be some other factors that would change the entire size/shape of the all the Great Lakes. That’s a long time.
it will erode back about 4 miles then it will stop being falls and just be some rapids that connect the two lakes.
the lip of the falls is a hard stone that is tilted to the south. And the erodes upstream, it also gets lower. Eventually it will erode and just be part of the river bed.
it will erode back about 4 miles then it will stop being falls and just be some rapids that connect the two lakes.
the lip of the falls is a hard stone that is tilted to the south. And the erodes upstream, it also gets lower. Eventually it will erode and just be part of the river bed.
The surface elevation of Lake Erie is 174m. The upper half of the falls is about 10m lower, which places the *top* of the falls below a good portion of the bottom of Lake Erie. The falls are 57m high, which puts the bottom of the falls just under 70m lower than the surface of Lake Erie. The deepest point of Lake Erie in the eastern Erie basin is 64m
So, in 50,000 years or so, when the falls erode all the way back, Lake Erie will simply cease to exist.
https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/mgg/image/images/erie_300.pdf
The surface elevation of Lake Erie is 174m. The upper half of the falls is about 10m lower, which places the *top* of the falls below a good portion of the bottom of Lake Erie. The falls are 57m high, which puts the bottom of the falls just under 70m lower than the surface of Lake Erie. The deepest point of Lake Erie in the eastern Erie basin is 64m
So, in 50,000 years or so, when the falls erode all the way back, Lake Erie will simply cease to exist.
https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/mgg/image/images/erie_300.pdf
The erosion has been reduced to about 1 foot per year. At that rate, if nothing changes, it will take more than 400,000 years for it to reach Lake Erie.
For a comparison, the last major ice age ended about 11,000 years ago.
The erosion has been reduced to about 1 foot per year. At that rate, if nothing changes, it will take more than 400,000 years for it to reach Lake Erie.
For a comparison, the last major ice age ended about 11,000 years ago.
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