Bridal Veil Falls is a waterfall located along the Pakoka River in the Waikato area of New Zealand. The waterfall is 55 metres(180 feet),and has over time caused the formation of a large pool at the base of the waterfall.
The Maori name for the falls is Waireinga. This means, “water of the underworld.” As the water plummets off the hard, _____ rock lip, it lands in a pool of ________ which has been slowly eroded over time. The water then disappears into the thick bush.
Formation of a waterfall
Waterfalls are most commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant rock, erosion happens slowly, while downstream the erosion occurs more rapidly. As the watercourse increases its velocity at the edge of the waterfall, it plucks material from the riverbed. Whirlpools created in the turbulence as well as sand and stones carried by the watercourse increase the erosion capacity.This causes the waterfall to carve deeper into the bed and to recede upstream. Often over time, the waterfall will recede back to form a canyon or gorge downstream as it recedes upstream, and it will carve deeper into the ridge above it. The rate of retreat for a waterfall can be as high as one and half metres per year.
Streams become wider and shallower just above waterfalls due to flowing over the rock shelf, and there is usually a deep pool, like here, just below the waterfall because of the kinetic energy of the water hitting the bottom. Waterfalls normally form in a rocky area due to erosion. After a long period of being fully formed, the water falling off the ledge will retreat, causing a horizontal pit parallel to the waterfall wall. Eventually, as the pit grows deeper, the waterfall collapses to be replaced by a steeply sloping stretch of river bed.
Types
There are ten types of waterfalls
Block: Water descends from a relatively wide stream or river.
Cascade: Water descends a series of rock steps.
Cataract: A large, powerful waterfall.
Fan: Water spreads horizontally as it descends while remaining in contact with bedrock.
Horsetail: Descending water maintains some contact with bedrock.
Plunge: Water descends vertically, losing contact with the bedrock surface.
Punchbowl: Water descends in a constricted form and then spreads out in a wider pool.
Segmented: Distinctly separate flows of water form as it descends.
Tiered: Water drops in a series of distinct steps or falls.
Multi-step: A series of waterfalls one after another of roughly the same size each with its own sunken plunge pool.
To log this earthcache:
Mail me the answers of the following questions:
- Which type of waterfall do you think is bridal veil falls? Whats the reason for your opinion?
- What kind of rock, do you think is the "soft" rock behind the waterfall and on the base. And which rocktype is the "hard" rock on top of the waterfall. What is the difference between these two rocktypes!
-How many stairs do you have to climb, from the top of the waterfall to the ground?
It would be nice, if you can make a photo of you or your GPS in front of the waterfall!
Sir Kay zeigt euch den nächsten Recken
wo wird sich denn nur der verstecken?
Sir Gareth findet ihr wohlan
wo alles sich befindet
dort wo auch mal dann und wann
der Lackai verschwindet.
H=3