Rhine Falls
| Rhine Falls | |
|---|---|
| German: Rheinfall | |
Rheinfall, August 2016
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| Location | On the border between the cantons of Schaffhausen and Zürich next to Schaffhausen, in northern Switzerland |
| Coordinates | 47°40′40″N 8°36′54″E / 47.67778°N 8.61503°ECoordinates: 47°40′40″N 8°36′54″E / 47.67778°N 8.61503°E |
| Type | Segmented Block |
| Elevation | 364 m (1,194 ft) |
| Total height | 23 metres (75 ft) |
| Total width | 150 metres (490 ft) |
| Watercourse | Rhine |
| Average flow rate |
250 m3/s (8,800 cu ft/s) during winter, 600 m3/s (21,000 cu ft/s) during summer |
The Rhine Falls (German: Rheinfall) is the largest plain waterfall in Europe.
The falls are located on the High Rhine on the border between the cantons of Schaffhausen and Zürich, between the villages of Neuhausen am Rheinfall (SH) and Laufen-Uhwiesen/Dachsen (ZH), next to the town of Schaffhausen in northern Switzerland.
They are 150 metres (490 ft) wide and 23 metres (75 ft) high. In the winter months, the average water flow is 250 m3/s (8,800 cu ft/s), while in the summer, the average water flow is 600 m3/s (21,000 cu ft/s). The highest flow ever measured was 1,250 cubic metres per second (44,000 cu ft/s) in 1965; and the lowest, 95 cubic metres per second (3,400 cu ft/s) in 1921.
The falls can not be climbed by fish, except by eels that are able to worm their way up over the rocks.
The Rhine Falls were formed in the last ice age, approximately 14,000 to 17,000 years ago, by erosion-resistant rocks narrowing the riverbed. The first glacial advances created today's landforms approximately 500,000 years ago. Up to the end of the Wolstonian Stage approximately 132,000 years ago, the Rhine flowed westwards from Schaffhausen past Klettgau. This earlier riverbed later filled up with gravel.
About 132,000 years ago the course of the river changed southwards at Schaffhausen and formed a new channel, which also filled up with gravel. Part of the Rhine today includes this ancient riverbed.
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Wikipedia