Niagara Falls

Location

• Straddles the international border between Canada and the US
• On the border of Ontario, Canada and New York

Geologic History 0f Niagara falls

• Formed when glaciers receded at the end of the last ice age
• Great Lakes carved a path making the falls very wide
• The green color of the water is a byproduct of finely rock made by the erosive forces

Untitled Slide

• The power of the falls is directly related to the level of the water in Lake Erie

Uniformitarianism

• Assumes a constant rate thourhout an unobserved past
• Sir Charles Lyell visited the falls in 1841 and 1842
• There was eveidence to promote long ages
• It would take 35,000 plus years to create the falls if Lyell was correct (really formed 12,000 years ago)
• Unifromity did not work at Niagrara Falls

destructive process

• Erosion of rock
• Also the ice melting over time from the ice ag
• Melting of the glaciers was a catastrophic event

itens of interest

• Formed 12000 years ago
• Niagara Falls does not freeze in winter
• Thought to be discovered by Native Americans
• Officially discovered by Father Louis Hennepin
• Summer plus fall 700,000 gallons of water per second pour over the falls
• Located in the oldest State Park in US