Geography Atlas
Waterfall Hub

Waterfalls, cataracts, and river-edge drops.

The waterfalls hub organizes major vertical river features by channel drop, bedrock edge, gorge setting, plunge-pool process, spray zone, and upstream basin connection.

Aerial photograph of the many white-water cascades and forested islands of Iguazu Falls.
Iguazu Falls · Argentina and Brazil Image: Enaldo Valadares · CC BY-SA 3.0
Lead Records

Falls and gorge references

Waterfall records should connect spectacle to physical process: water supply, resistant rock, retreating edges, gorge incision, and downstream river form.

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Hawaiian Volcanic Gorge

Akaka Falls

A Hawaiʻi Island waterfall record with rainfall-fed flow, a tall single plunge, volcanic gorge relief, and a short Pacific-draining stream.

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Tall Waterfall

Angel Falls

A tepui-edge waterfall record linking high sandstone tablelands, vertical relief, spray dispersal, and the Orinoco basin.

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Orange River Gorge

Augrabies Falls

An Orange River waterfall record with a 56-metre drop, ancient gneiss, fault-guided erosion, flood pulses, and semi-arid gorge terrain.

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Ethiopian Plateau Waterfall

Blue Nile Falls

An upper Abay River waterfall record with Lake Tana outflow, volcanic rock, seasonal discharge, gorge incision, and Nile basin links.

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Fiordland Lake-Outlet Cascade

Browne Falls

A Lake Browne outlet record with a long broken cascade, glacial fiord relief, heavy orographic rainfall, and direct drainage to Doubtful Sound/Patea.

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Spring-Fed Basalt Waterfall

Burney Falls

A northeastern California waterfall record with volcanic-aquifer springs, a basalt caprock, gorge retreat, and drainage toward the Pit River.

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Indravati Plateau Cataract

Chitrakote Falls

A Bastar Plateau waterfall record with a broad 29–30-metre drop, quartz-rich sandstone ledge, monsoon-expanded flow, and Indravati–Godavari drainage.

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Basalt Canyon Waterfall

Dettifoss

An Icelandic waterfall record with glacial river discharge, basalt canyon walls, plunge-pool erosion, and volcanic terrain.

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Monsoon Gorge Falls

Dudhsagar Falls

A Western Ghats waterfall record with monsoon flow, steep escarpment relief, forested gorge slopes, and seasonal runoff.

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Kunene River Cascade Complex

Epupa Falls

An Angola–Namibia boundary waterfall record with a 1.5-kilometre cascade reach, ancient gneiss, divided channels, seasonal flood pulses, and arid lower-basin terrain.

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Kanchanaburi Limestone Cascades

Erawan Falls

A western Thailand waterfall record with seven tiers along a 1.5-kilometre cascade reach, limestone ledges, Huai Mong Lai flow, monsoon seasonality, and Khwae Yai–Mae Klong drainage.

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Pyrenean Cirque Waterfall

Gavarnie Falls

A central Pyrenean waterfall record with an approximately 422-metre descent, stepped limestone cirque relief, snowmelt-influenced flow, and Gave de Pau–Adour drainage.

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Andean Escarpment Waterfall

Gocta Falls

A northern Peruvian Andes waterfall record with two major drops, calcareous mountain relief, seasonal rainfall, and Utcubamba basin drainage.

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Icelandic Canyon Waterfall

Gullfoss

A stepped waterfall record with glacial runoff, basalt canyon incision, spray zones, and Icelandic highland drainage.

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Travertine Canyon Waterfall

Havasu Falls

A northern Arizona waterfall record with spring-fed flow, an actively changing travertine ledge, deep canyon relief, flash floods, and Colorado River drainage.

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Guizhou Karst Cataract

Huangguoshu Waterfall

A Baishui River waterfall record with a broad 77.8-metre drop, plateau karst, monsoon discharge, gorge retreat, and Pearl River basin drainage.

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Waterfall Complex

Iguazu Falls

A broad cataract system on the Iguazu River linked to basalt edges, gorge retreat, forest margins, and the Parana basin.

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Arnhem Land Escarpment Falls

Jim Jim Falls

A Kakadu waterfall record with a roughly 200-metre sandstone escarpment drop, monsoonal Jim Jim Creek flow, a plunge pool, and South Alligator River drainage.

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Monsoon Escarpment Falls

Jog Falls

A Western Ghats waterfall record with monsoon discharge, segmented drops, plunge pools, and Sharavathi River flow.

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Rainforest Waterfall

Kaieteur Falls

A Guiana Shield waterfall record with sandstone cliffs, single-drop flow, plunge-pool erosion, and rainforest spray zones.

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Tanganyika Rift Escarpment Falls

Kalambo Falls

A Zambia–Tanzania border waterfall record with an approximately 221-metre single drop, an upland alluvial basin, rift-margin gorge relief, seasonal flow, and Lake Tanganyika drainage.

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Angolan Plateau Waterfall

Kalandula Falls

A Lucala River waterfall record with a broad curved crest, a roughly 105-metre drop, seasonal discharge, confined valley relief, and Kwanza basin drainage.

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Lake Chuzenji Outlet Plunge

Kegon Falls

A central Honshū waterfall record with a 97-metre plunge, a Mount Nantai lava barrier, lake-buffered and managed flow, groundwater-fed side falls, and Daiya–Kinu–Tone drainage.

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Hohe Tauern Glacial Cascade

Krimml Waterfalls

A western Austrian waterfall record with a 380-metre, three-stage descent, hanging-valley relief, glacier-influenced Krimmler Ache flow, and Salzach–Inn–Danube drainage.

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Lao Limestone Cascades

Kuang Si Falls

A northern Laos waterfall record with a roughly 60-metre main drop, carbonate-rimmed pools, monsoon-fed flow, and Mekong basin context.

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Lesotho Basalt Gorge Falls

Maletsunyane Falls

A central Lesotho waterfall record with a 192-metre single drop, layered Jurassic basalt, a fracture-controlled brink, seasonal highland flow, and Senqu–Orange drainage.

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Norwegian Hanging-Valley Falls

Mardalsfossen

A western Norway waterfall record with a 705-metre descent, glacial valley relief, regulated mountain runoff, and drainage through Eikesdalsvatnet toward Eresfjorden.

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Columbia Gorge Waterfall

Multnomah Falls

An Oregon waterfall record with a 620-foot two-tier descent, layered basalt cliffs, hanging-valley relief, rain-and-snow-fed flow, and Columbia River drainage.

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Victoria Nile Gorge Falls

Murchison Falls

A northwestern Uganda waterfall record with a narrow gneiss cleft, a roughly 43–45-metre drop, Albertine Rift relief, lake-buffered flow, and Lake Albert drainage.

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Kii Mountain Plunge

Nachi Falls

A southeastern Japan waterfall record with a 133-metre single drop, an igneous–sedimentary rock boundary, a compact forested catchment, heavy Pacific rainfall, and Nachi Bay drainage.

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Cataract System

Niagara Falls

A Great Lakes waterfall record with escarpment retreat, plunge pools, gorge formation, and Niagara River drainage.

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Sohra Plateau Plunge

Nohkalikai Falls

An East Khasi Hills waterfall record with a roughly 340-metre plunge, a compact rain-fed catchment, monsoon discharge, layered rock, and southern Meghalaya Plateau relief.

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High Atlas Limestone Falls

Ouzoud Falls

A Moroccan waterfall record with a roughly 110-metre, three-tier descent, Jurassic limestone, seasonal mountain runoff, and Oum Er-Rbia basin context.

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Karst Lake Cascades

Plitvice Waterfalls

A Croatian karst waterfall record with tufa barriers, terraced lakes, limestone canyon relief, dolomite basins, and Korana drainage.

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High Rhine Cataract

Rhine Falls

A Swiss High Rhine waterfall record with limestone bedrock, glacially shifted channels, seasonal discharge, and plunge-zone erosion.

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Icelandic Cliff Waterfall

Seljalandsfoss

A south Iceland waterfall record with a roughly 60-metre plunge, a recessed volcanic cliff, maritime upland runoff, and a coastal-plain setting.

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Snake River Canyon

Shoshone Falls

A basalt plateau waterfall record with Snake River canyon incision, plunge pools, seasonal flow, and dryland terrain.

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South Iceland Escarpment Falls

Skogafoss

A Skoga River waterfall record with a broad 60-metre plunge, layered volcanic rock, former sea-cliff relief, maritime runoff, and a southern coastal-plain setting.

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Fiordland Waterfall

Sutherland Falls

A glacial landscape waterfall record with hanging-valley relief, lake outflow, multi-stage drops, and forested slopes.

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Bogotá Savanna Outlet Falls

Tequendama Falls

A Colombian Eastern Cordillera waterfall record with an approximately 157-metre drop, a high-basin outlet, sedimentary-rock gorge, regulated Bogotá River flow, and Magdalena drainage.

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Western Thailand Limestone Falls

Thi Lo Su Waterfall

A Tak Province waterfall record with a broad multi-tier descent, limestone cliff controls, perennial Huai Klotho flow, monsoon runoff, and western Thailand upland drainage.

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Escarpment Waterfall

Tugela Falls

A Drakensberg waterfall record shaped by escarpment cliffs, seasonal highland runoff, plunge zones, and southern African terrain.

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Plateau Edge Falls

Victoria Falls

A Zambezi River waterfall record shaped by basalt fractures, spray zones, gorge incision, and southern African plateau flow.

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Hardangervidda Plateau-Edge Falls

Vøringsfossen

A western Norway waterfall record with a 182-metre fall, plateau-to-gorge relief, regulated Bjoreio flow, and drainage through Eidfjordvatnet toward Hardangerfjord.

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Herbert Gorge Escarpment Falls

Wallaman Falls

A northern Queensland waterfall record with a 268-metre Stony Creek plunge, hanging-tributary relief, permanent Wet Tropics flow, and Herbert River drainage.

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Ghana Border-Highland Falls

Wli Falls

An eastern Ghana waterfall record with an approximately 80-metre drop, Akwapim-Togo escarpment relief, variable perennial flow, and Dayi-Volta drainage.

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Granite Cliff Waterfall

Yosemite Falls

A Sierra Nevada waterfall record with granite cliffs, glacial valley form, seasonal snowmelt, plunge pools, and talus slopes.

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Four-Stage Andean Waterfall

Yumbilla Falls

A northern Peruvian Andes waterfall record with an 895.4-metre four-stage descent, a cave-fed headwater, steep elongated basin relief, seasonal rainfall, and Utcubamba drainage.

Thumbnail image credits 49 sources

Images are stored locally or hosted by the credited provider. Creator, source, and usage details for each centre-cropped thumbnail are listed below.

  1. Akaka Falls — Dllu, CC BY-SA 4.0. Centre-cropped for display.
  2. Angel Falls — Rich Childs, CC BY 2.0. Centre-cropped for display.
  3. Augrabies Falls — Zaian (talk)., Public domain. Centre-cropped for display.
  4. Ban Gioc-Detian Falls — Lê Minh Phát, CC BY 2.0. Centre-cropped for display.
  5. Blue Nile Falls — CT Snow from Hsinchu, Taiwan, CC BY 2.0. Centre-cropped for display.
  6. Browne Falls — Ybaykova, CC0. Centre-cropped for display.
  7. Burney Falls — Saxena ashes, CC BY-SA 4.0. Centre-cropped for display.
  8. Chitrakote Falls — Geography Atlas, generated with OpenAI, Original AI-generated project asset. Centre-cropped for display.
  9. Dettifoss — Tbc, Public domain. Centre-cropped for display.
  10. Dudhsagar Falls — Hsp wiki, CC BY-SA 4.0. Centre-cropped for display.
  11. Epupa Falls — Geography Atlas, generated with OpenAI, Original AI-generated project asset. Centre-cropped for display.
  12. Erawan Falls — Geography Atlas, generated with OpenAI, Original AI-generated project asset. Centre-cropped for display.
  13. Gavarnie Falls — Geography Atlas, generated with OpenAI, Original AI-generated project asset. Centre-cropped for display.
  14. Gocta Falls — Draceane, CC BY-SA 4.0. Centre-cropped for display.
  15. Gullfoss — Nickspix, CC BY-SA 4.0. Centre-cropped for display.
  16. Havasu Falls — Gonzo fan2007, CC BY-SA 3.0. Centre-cropped for display.
  17. Huangguoshu Waterfall — WaitinZ, CC BY-SA 3.0. Centre-cropped for display.
  18. Iguazu Falls — Enaldo Valadares, CC BY-SA 3.0. Centre-cropped for display.
  19. Jim Jim Falls — Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0. Centre-cropped for display.
  20. Jog Falls — Nikhilb239, CC BY 3.0. Centre-cropped for display.
  21. Kaieteur Falls — Sorenriise at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0. Centre-cropped for display.
  22. Kalambo Falls — Geography Atlas, generated with OpenAI, Original AI-generated project asset. Centre-cropped for display.
  23. Kalandula Falls — Paulo César Santos, CC0. Centre-cropped for display.
  24. Kegon Falls — Geography Atlas, generated with OpenAI, Original AI-generated project asset. Centre-cropped for display.
  25. Krimml Waterfalls — Geography Atlas, generated with OpenAI, Original AI-generated project asset. Centre-cropped for display.
  26. Kuang Si Falls — NruasPaoYPP, CC BY-SA 4.0. Centre-cropped for display.
  27. Maletsunyane Falls — Geography Atlas, generated with OpenAI, Original AI-generated project asset. Centre-cropped for display.
  28. Mardalsfossen — Peter John Acklam, Public domain. Centre-cropped for display.
  29. Multnomah Falls — John Fowler from Placitas, NM, USA, CC BY 2.0. Centre-cropped for display.
  30. Murchison Falls — Geography Atlas, generated with OpenAI, Original AI-generated project asset. Centre-cropped for display.
  31. Nachi Falls — Geography Atlas, generated with OpenAI, Original AI-generated project asset. Centre-cropped for display.
  32. Niagara Falls — Saffron Blaze, CC BY-SA 3.0. Centre-cropped for display.
  33. Nohkalikai Falls — Geography Atlas, generated with OpenAI, Original AI-generated project asset. Centre-cropped for display.
  34. Ouzoud Falls — Tomkeene at English Wikipedia, Public domain. Centre-cropped for display.
  35. Plitvice Waterfalls — Someone35, CC BY-SA 3.0. Centre-cropped for display.
  36. Rhine Falls — Kabelleger / David Gubler, CC BY-SA 4.0. Centre-cropped for display.
  37. Seljalandsfoss — Robert Lukeman robertlukeman, CC0. Centre-cropped for display.
  38. Shoshone Falls — Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0. Centre-cropped for display.
  39. Skogafoss — Hansueli Krapf, CC BY-SA 3.0. Centre-cropped for display.
  40. Sutherland Falls — Javier Sánchez Portero, CC BY-SA 3.0. Centre-cropped for display.
  41. Tequendama Falls — Geography Atlas, generated with OpenAI, Original AI-generated project asset. Centre-cropped for display.
  42. Thi Lo Su Waterfall — Yxejamir, CC BY-SA 3.0. Centre-cropped for display.
  43. Tugela Falls — Juniper339, CC BY-SA 4.0. Centre-cropped for display.
  44. Victoria Falls — Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0. Centre-cropped for display.
  45. Vøringsfossen — Geography Atlas, generated with OpenAI, Original AI-generated project asset. Centre-cropped for display.
  46. Wallaman Falls — Geography Atlas, generated with OpenAI, Original AI-generated project asset. Centre-cropped for display.
  47. Wli Falls — Geography Atlas, generated with OpenAI, Original AI-generated project asset. Centre-cropped for display.
  48. Yosemite Falls — chensiyuan, CC BY-SA 4.0. Centre-cropped for display.
  49. Yumbilla Falls — Geography Atlas, generated with OpenAI, Original AI-generated project asset. Centre-cropped for display.