Block waterfalls

A wide sheet of water falling from a broad river.

A block waterfall is wider than it is tall: a large river spills over a long, fairly even edge as a single sheet. They carry the biggest volumes on earth and tend to have the most powerful spray, the loudest roar and the biggest seasonal swing between high and low water.

How to recognise one

Look for an unbroken curtain along a long edge, and a width measured in hundreds of metres or more.

For the geology behind the shapes, read how waterfalls form.