12: Waterfalls

1) What is the name of the waterfall you have chosen and which river is it found on?

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2) Which country or countries is your waterfall found in?

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3) Which continent is your waterfall located in?

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4) Look at the diagram below. It explains how a waterfall is formed.

Water from the river flows over the hard rock. Where the water flows over soft rock, it can erode or wear this softer rock away. Over time this soft rock is eroded more and more by the water flowing over it. This makes a cliff which the water topples over. At the bottom of the cliff some of the water splashes onto the cliff and makes a plunge pool by a process known as undercutting. A gorge which is a steep sided river valley is often formed by a waterfall.

Using the diagrams on the next page, and the writing and diagram above, explain in your own words how a waterfall is formed.

5) Write a definition of a gorge.

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6) Why do you think gorges are often formed by waterfalls?

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