Cataratas Del Niagara

Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls is the collective name for three waterfalls that straddle the international border between theCanadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of New York. They form the southern end of the Niagara Gorge.
From largest to smallest, the three waterfalls are the Horseshoe Falls, the American Falls and the Bridal Veil Falls. The Horseshoe Falls lie on the Canadian sideand the American Falls on the American side, separated by Goat Island. The smaller Bridal Veil Falls are also located on the American side, separated from the other waterfalls by Luna Island. The international boundary line was originally drawn through Horseshoe Falls in 1819, but the boundary has long been in dispute due to natural erosion and construction.
Located on the Niagara River, whichdrains Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, the combined falls form the highest flow rate of any waterfall in the world, with a vertical drop of more than 50 meters. Horseshoe Falls is the most powerful waterfall in North America, as measured by vertical height and also by flow rate. The falls are located 27 km north northwest of Buffalo, New York and 121 km south southeast of Toronto, between the twincities of Niagara Falls, Ontario, and Niagara Falls, New York.
Niagara Falls were formed when glaciers receded at the end of the Wisconsin glaciation and water from the newly formed Great Lakes carved a path through the Niagara Escarpment en route to the Atlantic Ocean. While not exceptionally high, the Niagara Falls are very wide. More than 168,000 m3 of water falls over the crest line every minutein high flow, and almost 110,000 m3 on average.
The Niagara Falls are renowned both for their beauty and as a valuable source of hydroelectric power. Managing the balance between recreational, commercial, and industrial uses has been a challenge for the stewards of the falls since the 19th century.

The Horseshoe Falls drop about 53 meters, while the height of the American Falls varies between21 and 30 meters because of the presence of giant boulders at its base. The larger Horseshoe Falls are about 790 meters wide, while the American Falls are 320 meters wide. The distance between the American extremity of the Niagara Falls and the Canadian extremity is 1,039 meters.
The volume of water approaching the falls during peak flow season may sometimes be as much as 5,700 m3 per second.Since the flow is a direct function of the Lake Erie water elevation, it typically peaks in late spring or early summer. During the summer months, 2,800 m3 per second of water actually traverses the falls, some 90% of which goes over the Horseshoe Falls, while the balance is diverted to hydroelectric facilities. This is accomplished by employing a weir with movable gates upstream from the HorseshoeFalls. The falls flow is further halved at night, and during the low tourist season in the winter, remains a flat 1,400 m3 per second. Water diversion is regulated by the 1950 Niagara Treaty and is administered by the International Niagara Board of Control.
The verdant green colour of the water flowing over the Niagara Falls is a byproduct of the estimated 60 tonnes/minute of dissolved salts androck flour generated by the erosive force of the Niagara River itself. The current rate of erosion is approximately 0.30 meters per year down from a historical average of 0.91 meters per year. However, it is estimated that 50,000 years from now, even at this reduced rate of erosion, the remaining 32 km to Lake Erie will have been undermined and the falls will cease to exist.

There are differingtheories as to the origin of the name of the falls. According to Iroquoian scholar Bruce Trigger, Niagara is derived from the name given to a branch of the locally residing native Neutral Confederacy, who are described as being called the Niagagarega people on several late 17th century French maps of the area. According to George R. Stewart, it comes from the name of an Iroquois town called...