Waterfalls

	Angel Falls (World's tallest Waterfall) Angel Falls is the tallest waterfall in the world, as well as the tallest single drop in the world. The falls consist of a 2648 foot plunge, where the water comes out of the face of Auyan Tepui, then it cascades down steep talus before dropping over another 100 foot cascade. No one seems to know what the stream the falls occur on is called. For the longest time, there have been references to Angel Falls being known in Pemon (the local language) as Churún Merú, and the falls subsequently being on Rio Churún. However, the real Pemon name of the falls is Kerepakupai Merú, which means "fall from the deepest place". To further clear this issue, Churún Merú is a totally different waterfall of about half the height of Angel Falls, located further up the large canyon bysecting Auyan Tepui. The top of the Tepui from which the falls drop is heavily fractured and jointed sandstone. The waters above the falls drop into a series of cracks, crevices, and gorges and burst out of the cliff face about 50 feet below the brink. The waterfall segments in periods of highest water. We've seen photos that show the falls split into 3 major portions, creating a veil of water on the order of 600' in width. Pilot Jimmy Angel is widely credited for discovering the falls in 1937, but the true discoverer was one Ernesto de Santa Cruz, who found the falls in 1910. The falls were subsequently named for Jimmy Angel, since he was the first westerner to view the falls. Physical Descripition Information: English Metric Total Height:3212 feet 979 meters Tallest Single Drop:2648 feet 807 meters Number of Drops:2 Waterfall Type:Plunge, Cascades Average Width:350 feet 107 meters Average Volume: Maximum Recorded Volume: Watercourse:Rio Gauja Seasonality:Perennial Seasons of Best Flow: Location, Directions & Maps: Continent:South America Country:Venezuela State / Province:Bolivar Locality:Canaima National Park Specific Location:Auyan Tepui Latitude / Longitude: Inga Falls (World's Largest Waterfalls) This is a rapids that loses 315' of elevation in about 9 miles. Like Boyoma Falls, this might be stretching the acceptable definition of a falls. Since the falls are the target of an immense hydroelectric (40,000 Megawatts!) facility (still in the pre-planning stages--provided the corruption issue in regional politics is taken care of) this may be a moot point. The proposed scheme is to be a "run of the river" project, which means that flow is diverted as opposed to massive damming. Credit acknowledged to Encyclop?dia Britannica from Encyclop?dia Britannica Premium Service: "At a sharp bend in the river between Sikila Island and the mouth of the Bundi River (a Congo River tributary), the Congo falls 315 feet (96 m) in 9 miles (14 km) and flows at a rate of about 1,500,000 cubic feet (43,000 cubic m) per second." Further research shows a roughly 2.5 million cfs figure as the 100 year event which means a factor of 1.7 x mean flow can be postulated. The Oasis Foundation measurements show a figure slightly less than those quoted by Britannica, but one and a quarter million cfs is still an astounding volume of water. The first link below doesn't have a photo of the falls, but it does have "before" and "after" topographical images that show the magnitude of the project. The second link provides sattelite photos of the falls. Physical Descripition Information: Total Height:315 feet 96 meters Tallest Single Drop: Number of Drops: Waterfall Type:Rapids Average Width: Average Volume:1,500,000 cubic feet / sec. 42,476 cubic meters / sec. Maximum Recorded Volume:2,500,000 cubic feet / sec. 70,793 cubic meters / sec. Watercourse:Congo River Seasonality:Perennial Seasons of Best Flow: Location, Directions & Maps: Continent:Africa Country:Congo State / Province:Kinshasa Locality:Matadi Specific Location:Vall?e N'Kokolo Latitude / Longitude: World's Tallest Waterfalls Search Limiter: Limit results to waterfalls with a Height value greater than this number (numbers only). Showing results 1 to 35 of 915 View these results on Comparison Spreadsheet Name Height (sort) Tallest Drop (sort) State Country 1 . Angel, Salto 3,212 feet / 979 meters 2,648 ft / 807 m Bolivar Venezuela 2 . Tugela Falls 3,110 feet / 948 meters 1,350 ft / 411 m Kwazulu Natal South Africa 3 . Tres Hermanas, Cataratas las 3,000 feet / 914 meters Ayacucho Peru 4 . Olo'upena Falls 2,953 feet / 900 meters Hawaii USA 5 . Yumbilla, Catarata 2,938 feet / 896 meters Amazonas Peru 6 . Vinnufossen 2,822 feet / 860 meters 1,378 ft / 420 m More Og Romsdal Norway 7 . Baläifossen 2,788 feet / 850 meters 1,482 ft / 452 m Hordaland Norway 8 . Pu'uka'oku Falls 2,756 feet / 840 meters Hawaii USA 9 . James Bruce Falls 2,755 feet / 840 meters British Columbia Canada 10 . Browne Falls 2,744 feet / 836 meters 800 ft / 244 m South Island New Zealand 11 . Strupenfossen 2,690 feet / 820 meters Sogn Og Fjordane Norway 12 . Ramnefjellsfossen 2,685 feet / 818 meters 1,968 ft / 600 m Sogn Og Fjordane Norway 13 . Waihilau Falls 2,600 feet / 792 meters 2,600 ft / 792 m Hawaii USA 14 . Colonial Creek Falls 2,584 feet / 788 meters Washington USA 15 . Mongefossen 2,535 feet / 773 meters 2,535 ft / 773 m M?re Og Romsdal Norway 16 . Gocta, Catarata 2,531 feet / 771 meters Amazonas Peru 17 . Mutarazi Falls 2,499 feet / 762 meters 1,572 ft / 479 m Manicaland Zimbabwe 18 . Kjelfossen 2,477 feet / 755 meters 490 ft / 149 m Sogn Og Fjordane Norway 19 . Johannesburg Falls 2,465 feet / 751 meters 800 ft / 244 m Washington USA 20 . Yosemite Falls 2,425 feet / 739 meters 1,430 ft / 436 m California USA 21 . Trou de Fer, Cascades de 2,380 feet / 725 meters 1,000 ft / 305 m Cirque de Salazie R?union 22 . Ølmäafossen 2,362 feet / 720 meters 2,362 ft / 720 m Møre Og Romsdal Norway 23 . Mana'wai'nui Falls 2,360 feet / 719 meters 2,360 ft / 719 m Hawaii USA 24 . Kjeragfossen 2,345 feet / 715 meters 2,345 ft / 715 m Rogaland Norway 25 . Avalanche Basin Falls 2,320 feet / 707 meters 1,000 ft / 305 m Montana USA 26 . Harrison Basin Falls 2,320 feet / 707 meters 1,120 ft / 341 m Montana USA 27 . Haloku Falls 2,297 feet / 700 meters Hawaii USA 28 . Lake Chamberlain Falls 2,297 feet / 700 meters South Island New Zealand 29 . Alfred Creek Falls 2,296 feet / 700 meters 2,296 ft / 700 m British Columbia Canada 30 . D?ntefossen 2,296 feet / 700 meters 656 ft / 200 m M?re Og Romsdal Norway 31 . Brufossen 2,289 feet / 698 meters 787 ft / 240 m Hordaland Norway 32 . Spirefossen 2,264 feet / 690 meters Sogn Og Fjordane Norway 33 . Lake Unknown Falls 2,230 feet / 680 meters 492 ft / 150 m South Island New Zealand 34 . Kukenaam, Salto 2,211 feet / 674 meters 2,211 ft / 674 m Bolivar Venezuela 35 . Yutaj?, Salto 2,200 feet / 671 meters Amazonas Venezuela Blue Highlighted rows denote pictures available. The heights listed may reflect the inclusion of non-vertical falls, cascades and steep streambed, which, alone, would not be considered a noteworthy waterfall by most. When situated between, above or below a major waterfall, it is, however, common that such features are included in the waterfall's overall height. Most of the heights on this list are accurate to our knowledge, however, several are estimates based on various sources, and may or may not be accurate. The waterfalls on this list, the accompanying data and the order in which they are presented may change without notice at any given time.