Eternal Flame Falls Facts
- This startling creation of time and natural geological processes is most frequently referred to by the common name of the Eternal Flame Falls. Yet, this attention-grabbing term isn’t the only one used for it. It’s also sometimes known as Chestnut Ridge Falls.
- Understandably, a great deal of mystery surrounds this marvel of Nature. Ancient legends purport that local populations of Native Americans first lit the flame centuries ago. However, no records, written or otherwise, exist to confirm or deny this belief.
- Likewise, no known records exist pertaining to who among later European explorers, or when, first noted the site. Dutch explorers were the first known to reach its general region, beginning in 1614. Yet, it’s unknown if any of them journeyed that far inland.
- Currrently, only nine naturally occuring so-called eternal flames appear on the earth. Of these, this one ranks as the most famous on any listing of such matters. It stands out mainly due to certain very specific, and highly unique, characteristics of its placement.
- Interestingly, the distinctiveness of Eternal Flame Falls creates a strange combination positive and negative factors. That’s because tourists bring trash into the area, disturbing its pristine state. Yet, it’s popularity created a movement to protect the area.
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Eternal Flame Falls Physical Description
The breathtaking Eternal Flame Falls almost instantly captivates all those lucky enough to visit this true natural marvel. Yet, it does so due to a combination of factors. The pure, clean beauty of the feature itself obviously ranks as one of these, of course. But not sheer size.
That’s true since, in that regard, at least, this cascade isn’t especially large. It technically lists as what’s known as a two-tiered waterfall. The upper section is also significantly smaller than the lower portion. That trait serves to create a lovely natural presence at the site.
The top tier of this geological masterpiece remains quite narrow. This holds especially true when it’s compared to many other such features located around the world. It especially does so in relation to what follows. This upper section only drops about 8 ft (2.4 m).
The lower one, though, plunges nearly triple that distance, dropping another 22 ft (6.7 m). Yet, another aspect augments its beauty even more. As it drops, it spreads out over the rocks. By the time these waters reach the bottom, the flow measures over twice as wide as high.
It’s what lies behind Eternal Flame Falls that draws the most attention however. It also serves as the inspiration for the common name. Tucked into the shale underlying the cascade, and situated directly behind the falls, visitors find a small, shallow, grotto.
It’s within these confines, though, that the true wonder appears. Here, a natural gas seep brings a steady flow of this to the surface. Originally lit long ago at an unknown time, a flame appears! It ranges in height due to variations in flow, but sometimes reaches 30 in (75 cm).
This stunning manifestation of Nature does not always stay lit, however. It sometimes disappears due to external factors. Storm winds or water splashed by tourists occasionally extinguish it. When this happens, though, it’s easily relit with a match or lighter.
Eternal Flame Falls Location, Formation, and Mystery
The mind-boggling Eternal Flame Falls formed in a region of the surface of the earth well known for its abundance of natural wonders. That location likely won’t surprise many readers, then. That’s because Nature created it as part of the continent of North America.
There, it lies inside the confines of the United States. Situated in the upper northeastern section of the country, the waterfall further resdies within the boundaries of the state of New York. There, it forms a central part of Chestnut Ridge Park, in the extreme west.
The origins of this sensation reach far back into the distant past. They occurred during the Denovian Period, more than 350 million years ago. At that time, sedimentary action created enormous deposits of shale. Other, later processes then formed the natural gas.
In our era, though, this seeps to the surface. That process further releases into the cave approximately 2.2 lb (1 kg) of gas on an average daily basis. Other, much smaller seeps also exist in its immediate vicinity. It’s possible tectonic actions opened cracks, allowing the flow.
Yet, a mystery persists surrounding the very existence of the Eternal Flame Falls, or at least the flame part. That’s true due to the fact that the emission of natural gas in this unique location defies our current knowledge of the processes underlying the creation of this.
Current theories dictate that shale must be hot to break down into what’s also called fossil gas. Here, however, the shale from which it springs has a much lower temperature than all other natural eternal flames. That same shale deposit also sits much shallower than others.
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