Fainter Falls is a popular waterfall and geological feature that is located in the Alpine National Park.
Waterfall formation is based around the basic principle that there is a watercourse (water is an erosive agent) traversing over different layers of rock each with different rates of erosion. In other words, you have a river or stream flowing over hard rock (erosion is slow) and also flowing over soft rock (erosion is more rapid).
Over time, the soft rock is further cut into by the water ultimately making the watercourse steeper beyond the hard rock layer. This steepening effect also accelerates erosion as the influence of gravity on the water increases the water's speed (the increasing slope accelerates erosion). Eventually, the watercourse steepens until it is either near or completely vertical. At this point, you have a genuine waterfall.
With the watercourse continuing to cut into the softer rock, the waterfall gets taller, the plunge pool (where the waterfall lands) gets deeper, and the soft rock directly beneath the hard rock gets undercut. The undercutting action results in waterfalls where you might be able to go behind the water like a curtain.
As the undercutting continues, eventually the overhanging hard rock gets unstable and collapses into the base of the waterfall. The net result of this action is that the waterfall retreats further upstream to the remaining lip of the hard rock layer. For example the well-known Niagara Falls retreats at an average of 900mm to 1m each year.
The undercutting still continues until you run out of the hard rock layer. At that point, the watercourse will probably go back to being a stream or rapid.
Your task is to answer a few simple questions:
1. Is there a plunge pool or any overhanging rock visible at these falls? Tell me why this is, based on supplied information?
2. How many levels can you see in these waterfalls?
3. Estimate the height of the falls.
Once you complete the Earthcache requirements you can post your find without delay, as per the guidelines. You will also need to verify your find by sending me an email providing answers to the questions. This can be through the message centre or via gemmasiemensma@gmail.com
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