Waterfall
Topic: Topographical Maps: Relief Representation and Interpretation · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 5 "Topographical Maps"
Meaning
A waterfall is a sudden, nearly vertical drop of river water from a height in the river bed. It often forms where a river flows from hard rock onto softer rock, or over the edge of a cliff or plateau. On a topographical map, it is spotted where contour lines merge as they cross the stream. Waterfalls attract tourists and can be used for hydro-electric power.
Example
Jog Falls on the Sharavati river in Shimoga (Shivamogga) district, Karnataka, plunges down the edge of the Western Ghats. It is one of India's highest waterfalls.
Don't confuse with
- Rapids: here the river drops in many small steps. The contours cross the stream at wider spacing and do not merge.
- Cliff: its contours also merge, but along a land face, not where a stream crosses them.