Waterfalls and Undercuts EarthCache

Welcome to Lake Bixhoma on Leonard Mountain. Park hours are 6am to 10 pm daily to hike,  picnic and enjoy nature. Come and make a day of it. You are at Bixhoma Falls. The falls are created when there is a runoff from the overflow of the nearby lake. Flow or  lack there of will depend on lake  levels.  Read on to learn more of one nature's greatest beauties.Waterfalls are one of nature's truest beauties both for the scenery and tranquility. They are fromed of the eons as a watersource flows over both hard rock where erosion is slow and soft rock where erosion is more rapid. Over time the soft rock erosion makes the area to become steeper and accelerates the erosion of the rock. The accelerating waterflow and steepening continue to cycle until a vertical drop is formed and the  waterfall develops. 

The true cause of of waterfall formation is a erosive prossess called undercutting. Undercutting develops when a layer of softer material like shale is present below an area of harder rock that is less prone to erosion. Undercutting may create a void in the area behind the cascade of water. While the faster eroding softer material, like the high level of shale here erodes away or is washed down stream, lips or ledges may remain of the harder rock that creates a overhang. That overtime will eventually fall  into the stream and move downriver. The river will continue to retreat upstream until the hard layer of material will disappear. It is estimated that Niagra Falls moves upstream at 3 feet a year due to this erosive process and in a few millenia it  will be a river again and the falls will disappear. 

PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT IF WATER LEVELS ARE HIGH AT GZ. Please follow CDC guidance on visiting parks.

There are 10 types of waterfalls, listed below with definations. 

1. PLUNGE-water drops vertically without touching an underlying cliff face. An example  is Bridal Viel Falls in New Zealand                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
2. HORSETAIL-the water maintains contact with the cliff suface and forms a horsetail shape as it drops from the stages of the  slope. An example is the Nevada Falls  in Yosemite National Park. 
3. FAN-Similar to the horsetail, in that it maintains consistant contact  with the cliff, but resembles the shape of a fan. Example: Union Falls in Yellowstone National  Park. 
4. PUNCHBOWL-occurs when a stream funnels into a narrow hanging gourge before it shots over  a drop. Example: Punch Bowl Falls on the Columbia River in Oregan. 
5. BLOCK-typically rectangular in shape in that it is wider  than tall. Falls from an underlying cliff with a vertical wall. Example: Cavestone Falls in Yellowstone National Park. 
6. TIERED--have more than one vertical leap or fall, but close enouogh to be seen from one visual point. Example is Sentineal Falls in Yosemitie or Walkins Glen                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
7. SEGMENTED-water that descends by dividing into two or more seperate threads of water. Example is Burgess Falls in Tennessee.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
8. CASCADES-water descends along a slope surface. Example: Minaret Falls in California. 
9. CHUTE--water is forced into a narrow channel rsulting in a violent ejection of water over the drop. It resembles water rapids rather than a fall. Example: Murchison Falls in Uganda. 
10. SCREE--a type of cascade water fall that flows over loose rock. Sometimes referred to as a talus fall. Example: Vedalsfossen in Norway. water flows over a low angled slope.  
11. SLIDE--water flows over a low angle slope. Example--Waterwheel Falls in Yosemite. 
12. RIBBON--thin, very narrow stream with a long vertical drop. Examples: Fairy Fall in Yellowstone Nationa Park and Ribbon Falls in Yosemite.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

This is a tiered waterfall, I have brought you to the midpoint of these falls. Look at the flow, look across to the other side of the waterway.Question #1: Obseve and see if you see any signs of undercutting in the area. Please tell me why or why not, you feel this way. Question #2:. the second set of coordinates will take you to the base of the tiered waterfall. Is there any evidence of harder rocks being washed down from old undercutting? Explain your answer. 

There is not a container  at this location, however, to claim this cache you need to send an email to the CO with answers to the above questions. Do not answer on your log or it will be deleted. Photos are not required but would be greatly appreciated. Do not answer question in your note. Earth caches are meant as learning experiences. I hope you enjoyed being here and enjoyed the view.