It’s our hope that each of you, our readers, will enjoy and appreciate this article we present about these 3 Wondrous South American Waterfalls. It was certainly our pleasure to gather the information for you. May it provide you with both education and increased awareness.
Certainly, these formations listed herein represent only a portion of the marvels found throughout this amazing region. It’s our belief, though, that they serve as excellent representations of the features found here. Check out some of our other articles, as well.
Carbet Falls
Carbet Falls Facts
- Leading off this article about these 3 Wondrous South American Waterfalls we present the stunning marvel named Carbet Falls.
- The English language name for this beautiful creation of Nature’s geological processes is that used here. In the language of the country in which it formed it goes by another name. That other term’s the French language moniker of Les Chutes du Carbet.
- Regardless of which term or language one uses to refer to it, it’s a magnificent sight to behold. Its great beauty also now makes it one of the leading tourist attractions of the region. In fact, an average of 400,000 people visit the wonder of Nature each year.
- How long this incredible flow of water had been known to the local Indigenous Peoples presently remains a mystery to science. Archaeological evidence, though, indicates that the first settlers arrived from the Americas as far back as about 3,000 BC.
- The site holds a respectable place in the history of modern exploration, however. That’s because the famous explorer Christopher Columbus became the first known European to view its splendor. This occurred on November 4, 1493, as he entered its area.
- Ever the intrepid explorer, he discovered Carbet Falls in the process of exploring the, to Europeans, newly discovered part of the world. After making his way through the dense surrounding jungle, he noted the sighting of it, and its splendor, in his log.
Carbet Falls Physical Description
The site known as Carbet Falls both boggles and amazes the viewer. The magnificent waterfall dazzles the eye due to its sheer natural beauty, of course. The amazement, however, stems from, among various other understandably subjective factors, its nature.
That’s true since this particular cascade formed as what’s known as a three-tiered waterfall. This type of formation also represents one of the least common type of waterfall. In this instance, the upper fall drops an impressive total of roughly 410 ft (125 m).
The second tier of this awesome site follows after a short distance, and drops slightly less. It, like both the first and third tier, plunges to a small pool. At the base of this tier, the fall’s surrounded by accumulated talus. The plunge itself measures approximately 360 ft (110 m).
The third and final tier of Charbet Falls, however, measures slightly less in height. That’s because its plunge equals only about 66 ft (20 m). Though less impressive in height, it makes up for that in flow. It has the largest volume of any known waterfall in its region.
Carbet Falls Location, Formation, and History
The stunning Carbet Falls formed in a relatively isolated section of the world. That’s due to the fact that geological processes created it on an island, and not on a continent. In fact, it lies between North America and South America. The latter’s the closest, however.
More precisely, it formed on the beautiful island that now bears the name of Basse-Terre. This constitutes one of the six inhabited islands that now form the country of Guadeloupe. The region is an overseas department of France, situated in the Leeward Islands.
Its surrounding terrain only serves to accentuate the magnificence of the waterfall itself. This holds true for two principle reasons, in fact. Firstly, it lies within a region of relatively dense tropical jungle. It further sits on the lower portion of a volcano, named la Soufriere.
The fabulous plunge represents a part of the equally enchanting, and similarly named, Carbet River. This itself originates just 1.2 mi (2 km) upstream from the falls themselves. Its source actually sits at an impressive altitude measuring about 4,300 ft (1,300 m).
The awe-inspiring Carbet Falls also resides within the confines of the Parc National de la Guadeloupe. That fact, along with the difficulty of accessing it, provides it with a certain measure of protection. Reaching it’s not easy, therefore making protecting it simpler.
Sadly, however, Nature itself slightly damaged the natural wonder. This occurred originally due to the effects of an earthquake, in 2004. At that time, a portion of the cliff fell above the second tier. Strong rains in 2005 and 2009 further made the local terrain unstable.
Gocta Cataracts
Gocta Cataracts Facts
- Next up amng our choices for inclusion in this collection of 3 Wondrous South American Wateralls is the magnificent Gocta Cataracts.
- The distinctive term serves as the english language name for this visually stunning masterpeice of geological forces. It has other titles in different languages, though. In Spanish, for example, it holds the similar moniker of Catarata del Gocta.
- But, among the local inhabitants of the region, it’s often referred to as La Chorrera. No matter which term one chooses to use when referring to it, however, this remarkable waterfall remains a true marvel. The beautiful site also holds a surprising fact.
- The Indigenous peoples of the region clearly knew of its existence for untold centuries. In fact, it sits in full view of a nearby village. They intentionally hid its existence from outsiders due to a common fear of the effects of a curse if it became widely known.
- Due to the prevalence of this belief, the outside world did not learn of the existence of the Gocta Cataracts until 2002! At that time, the German explorer, Stefan Ziemendorff, and an accompanying team of Peruvian explorers discovered the formation.
- Because of its amazing beauty, the government of the country in which the cascade sits quickly designated it as a tourist destination. Despite this worrisome fact, officials put measures in place intended to protect the site as much as possible.
Gocta Cataracts Physical Description
The breathtaking Gocta Cataracts distinguishes itself from related features around the world. The wonder does so, however, due to several factors. Its eye-catching beauty certainly ranks as one, of course. Yet it also boasts some extraordinary physical statistics.
The gorgeous cascade easily serves as a truly remarkable example of high altitude geology. It also developed with a total of two separate drops, or tiers. Combined, these provide with flow of water with a total drop measuring an incredible 2,530 ft (771 m)!
The upper section of the waterfall itself drops an already impressive 700 ft (213 m). But that’s only the beginning of its amazing size. It’s the lower of the two falls that adds the greatest portion. This second tier plummets an almost unbelievable 1,831 ft (558 m)!
Magnificent Gocta Cataracts contains still more marvels to mention. It also has a very respectable width, as well. At its widest point as it plunges over the underlying bed, this extreme example of the works of Nature has a width equaling roughly 200 ft (61 m) across.
Last, but certainly not least, is the fact of just how high it sits. The upper section lies at an altitude of approximately 7,500 ft (2,286 m) above sea level. Due to this extreme height, at times the top of the geological construction is actually obscured by clouds.
Gocta Cataracts Location, Formation, and Ecology
The mind-numbing beauty best known as the Gocta Cataracts formed in a region of the globe already famous for its abundance of natural splendor. As a result, that location won’t surprise many people. It formed in what’s now known as the continent of South America.
Within the confines of that greater area, the site sits in the general western portion of the continent. Its location places it in the country of Peru. The waterfall exists in the province of Bongara, and appears roughly 479 mi (771 km) northeast of the city of Lima.
Given its geographical location, it understandably owes its existence to a combination of factors. It receives the majority of its water from outflow from the relatively nearby Andes Mountains. Despite their proximity to the equator, many glaciers exist due to the altitude.
Runoff from these serves as the principal source of water for this cascade. Yet the nature of the climate in the surrounding area also assists. The region has an extremely humid climate, and torrential rains frequently occur. All these contribute to maintaining its flow.
The area immediately surrounding the Gocta Cataracts qualifies as what’s known as a cloud forest. That creates a very unique ecosystem, in which this formation plays an important role. The water it provides helps to maintain a rich, thriving local environment.
A wide array of flora remains abundant due to the high levels of moisture present. That includes the lush jungle vegetation typical of such areas. At east 110 species of birds call the area home, in addition to many types of monkeys, and even an elusive species of bear.
Kaieteur Falls
Kaieteur Falls Facts
- Closing out this gathering of these 3 Wondrous South American Waterfall is the remarkable work of Nature named Kaieteur Falls.
- This masterpiece of geological forces most frequently goes by the somewhat hard to pronounce term we’ve used herein. It does have another, much less often used title, though. That’s the term Kayik Tuwuk, which roughly translates as Old Man Falls.
- That appellation originates in the ancient Patamona language. That’s the native tongue of the small population of Indigenous Peoples native to the surrounding region. Inhabiting the area, they have known of this natural wonder for untold centuries.
- In more modern times, however, no known outsider knew of its existence until 1870. At that time, a group led by the British geologist, Charles Barrington Brown, discovered it. He was serving as governor of the newly-named British colony at the time.
- The name of Kaieteur Falls derives from a local legend. This narrates that an unpleasant old man was once placed in a boat and shoved over the falls by his relatives. Another legend indicates a more heroic story behind the distinctive name, however.
- It now constitutes a major tourist attraction in its region, due to its beauty. Despite this, the breathtaking formation thankfully now enjoys a certain amount of protection. The area surrounding it now represents the stunning Kaieteur National Park.
Kaieteur Falls Physical Description
The marvel of Kaietuer Falls understandably fascinates virtually everyone fortunate enough to visit the site. Unlike some similar features across the globe, though, it does so for more than just its beauty. It also stands out due to some hihgly impressive physical statistics.
From its top, this amazing flow of water plunges an already incredible 741 ft (226 m). The underlying rock strata principally consists of relatively soft sandstone. A conglomeration of other stones also makes up the remainder of the bed of the outpouring.
From there, it proceeds over a small but quite steep series of cascades. These add about another 81 ft (25 m) to its overall drop from the heights above. The combination of these two plunges give it a total fall of 822 ft (251 m), making it the 123rd highest known.
But the height of Kaieteur Falls is only part of its story. It’s also extremely wide compared to most others of its kind. This varies due to influx of water, of course. But it averages a width of 371 ft (113 m). Together, these factors give it one of the highest volumes of any waterfall.
Its precise statistics, taken along with its splendor, are remarkable. This product of natural forces boasts an average flow rate of roughly 23,400 cubic ft (663 cubic meters) per second! That ranks as the 19th highest such characteristic of any cascade known to man.
Kaieteur Falls Location, Formation, and Ecology
The fabulous Kaieteur Falls formed in a general region of the earth already famous for its abundance of geological wonders of all kinds. That location therefore comes as little to no surprise to most people. It sits in a section of the amazing continent of South America.
There, it lies on the approximate northeast corner of the landmass. Its general placement puts it within the borders of the nation of Guyana. More specifically, it’s found roughly in the midwestern portion of the country, in what’s named the Potaro-Siparuni region.
It forms part of the Potaro River, which obviously shares its name with the surrounding region. That flows outward from the escarpment of the Pakaraima Mountains. The gorgeous fall itself, along with its source, resides within the astounding Amazon rainforest.
Given its location, in conjunction with its abundance of water, Kaieteur Falls supports its own flourishing micro-environment. That extends to both flora and fauna. Tropical vegetation abounds, including tank bromeliads, the largest of their kind known to man.
Many animal species also profit from close proximity to its waters. This includes amphibians, one of which lives nowhere else. Numerous birds also inhabit the dense jungle supported by the falls. This even includes the rarely observed Guianan cock-of-the-rock.
3 Wondrous South American Waterfalls
We hope that each of you enjoyed reading, and hopefully learning from, this article we’ve written about these 3 Wondrous South American Waterfalls. It’s also our hope that doing so has left you with either a new or renewed appreciation for such wonders of Nature.
Unfortunately, many other such features around the world now find themselves facing threats to their continued existence in an undamaged state. Many of those dangers, in fact, stem from the actions of mankind. We must do all we can to protect and preserve them all.
Check out our other articles on 7 Breathtaking East Coast Wonders, Africa’s Many Geological Masterpieces, 3 Amazing North American Amphibians, The Mighty Tornado