Cataract waterfalls

A large, powerful waterfall or series of rapids on a big river.

Cataract is the name for a large and forceful waterfall, or a stretch of steep rapids and falls on a major river, where volume matters more than height. Many are too violent to approach by water, and some are measured by their flow rather than their drop.

How to recognise one

Look for a huge volume of turbulent water, often across a wide, rocky channel rather than off a clean cliff.

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