Niagara Falls

The Past

Niagara Falls is one of the most notable works of Mother Nature in recent time.  In the beginning, wind, water, and ice sculpted the landscape in the area of the falls, setting in motion what was to become one of nature’s most magnificent masterpieces. Although much has changed over the past 5,000 years, the past climate in Niagara is analogous to the present weather conditions. This region is located on a great plain, extending east to west from the northern Laurentian Highlands to the southern foothills of the Allegheny Plateau.

The Niagara Escarpment is over 1,600 kilometers in length and runs from Watertown, New York to Manatoulin Island in the Providence of Ontario. This Escarpment is the weathered edge of an ancient sea bottom and is the base for the formation of Niagara Falls. Without this massive escarpment, Niagara Falls may have never materialized. To give you a better understanding of just how old this escarpment is its existence pre-dates the continental glaciers that plagued the Northern Hemisphere. Even before dinosaurs roamed the earth, even millions of years before the Appalachian Mountains came to be. This magnificent piece of work was not formed from movements in the earths crust as folding and faulting rather, it was formed by means of erosion.

The deep gorge where you can find the Niagara River is composed of alternating layers of hard dolomite limestone with soft layers of sandstone and shale. The forces of the rushing water penetrate the hard upper layer of dolomite and shale until it effectively collapsed, thus giving the falls their vertical front. Geographers believe that the Falls actually were started 7 miles downstream around 12,000 years ago. At this time and until the early 1950’s the Falls receded on an average of 1 meter (3ft.) per year. In the 1950’s a project was carried out to produce electricity on the Canadian side (Horseshoe Falls), thus alternating this regression. A project was also carried out on the American side, spreading the flow of water more evenly over the crest. Today the erosion rate is at about 36 centimeters (just over a foot) for a period of 10 years. The Niagara River, at only 12,000 years old, is a fairly young river by geological time!

The Niagara Falls is the second largest falls in the world, next to Victoria Falls in Africa. The height of the Falls on the American side is about 70 feet due to a massive pile of rocks at the base. On the Canadian side the Falls cascade 167 feet. It’s interesting to note that one fifth of all the fresh water in the world can be found in the four Upper Great Lakes- Michigan, Huron, Superior, and Erie. The entire outflow from these lakes makes its way into the Niagara River and eventually over the Falls. The Niagara River is the natural link between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. The massive height and torrent of water attracts many daredevils who seek to conquer the falls. Unfortunately many expire in their efforts, but some have survived. The first human to go over the Falls was in October 1829. His name was Sam Patch and he jumped twice from a platform on Goat Island (110 feet) and survived. The first person to go over the Canadian Falls (Horseshoe Falls) was a woman by the name Annie Telson Taylor. On an October day in 1901 she went over Horseshoe Falls in a wooden barrel and survived. Of the 16 known attempts in a barrel, 6 have died and 10 have survived. Daredevils have also attempted to cross the Niagara George on a tightrope. One such adventurer, Jean Francois Gravelet, even stopped along the way to cook an omelet.

The Present

Presently the amount of water that runs over the falls has been reduced due to the existence of power plants located upstream from the falls. These plants channel water from the Niagara River for hydroelectric use. This diversion has slowed the erosion rate on the Canadian Falls as well as the American Falls. At one point in time, the two falls were connected but due to water diversion, they are now separated by an island. The rate of regression at the Horseshoe Falls (Canadian side) has been reduced to a fraction of what it was in the past. It’s now said to be about a foot for every 10 years. On the American side it is estimated at 3-4 inches for every 10 years.

It is possible to control the flow of water over the falls with the current structures already set in place for hydroelectricity. And by adding additional barriers, it’s been possible to “dry” the American side in the attempt to check for erosion and reinforce upper layers.

But it’s not such a likely story on the Canadian side where water has never been completely diverted by human action. One question you may be asking yourself is do the Falls freeze over the winter? This question has no clear answer. The falling water and mist from the Falls can create ice formations along the banks of the Falls and Niagara River, resulting in enormous deposits of ice. If the temperatures are cold for a long enough time, the ice will cover the river creating what is known as an “ice bridge,” This ice bridge is capable of extending several miles down river to the lower rapids. Only once in recorded history has the flow of water completely stopped for both falls. On March 29th 1848 an ice jam up-river caused the Niagara River to stop flowing for several hours. Although the falls did not actually freeze over, the flow of water was minimized to the point where people could walk out on the River bottom and collect artifacts. The cause of this ice jam was a combination of a severe winter and a north westerly wind. Only after a change in the direction of the wind to the east did the ice jam loosen.

Today the Falls serve as an international boundary between the United States and Canada.  When the sun goes down, powerful spotlights light up the falls, creating a beautiful array of colors.

Niagara Falls has become one of the most sought out tourist/honeymooner destination. The Canadian Falls are one of the top tourist attractions in the world. Niagara Falls can only be described as a leisure-oriented town. Attractions include Museums, Historic Sites, Natural Wonders, Parks, and more.

The Future

As with many of nature’s creations, the future of Niagara Falls is not certain. One thing is certain though, the Falls will remain as we know it today for thousands of years to come. Nature will continue to alter the look, but we will always have something to speak about.

Erosion on the Niagara Falls is expected to continue for thousands of years as well to the point when the falls receding southward will reach Lake Erie. Just like we have seen in the past, erosion will continue to position the Falls further and further southward for the next 8,000 years when the falls are expected to reach the limits of Lake Erie.

Looking even further into the future, the fate of the falls may not be determined by floods, earthquakes, or man, but by stream reversal. Activity taking place on the crust of the Earth, which we may not witness in our lifetime because of its measured rate, just may be the biggest threat to the existence of Niagara Falls. The eastern seaboard of North America is rising as a rebound effect from the glacial period. It is suggested that this rise will in fact slow the flow of water to the oceans to the point where the flow will eventually reverse. But again, this event will, if at all, take place thousands and thousands of years in the future.

By Geological time, this is but a second, but for us and our many descendants, the Niagara Falls will continue to hold its reputation and astound us with all its natural splendor.