How do waterfalls form?
Nature's Slow Sculptor
How do waterfalls form?
You're standing at the edge of Niagara Falls, and millions of gallons of water are thundering over the cliff every second. Where did this giant waterfall come from? Did someone dig it? Did it appear overnight? Nope — waterfalls are nature's slow-motion sculptures, carved by water over thousands and thousands of years.
A waterfall starts with a river flowing along, minding its own business. But rivers are picky — they always want to take the easiest path downhill. And here's the thing: not all rock is equally tough. Some rock is hard as a brick wall. Other rock is soft, like stale cake. When a river flows over both kinds of rock, the soft stuff wears away faster.
