The Waterfalls of Wales
Formation of the Waterfalls of Wales
Wales is home to an abundance of spectacular Waterfalls.
Ranging from powerful torrents of water to peaceful mountain springs,
Wales’ valleys resound to the sound of falling water.
The innumerable Welsh Waterfalls do not derive solely from the country’s
mountainous geology and high level of rainfall. Waterfalls are most commonly
formed when a river flows over variant forms of rock strata. For example,
a river running over a bed made of hard, quartz rich sandstone will make
little impression. In contrast, a river flowing over softer sandstone
containing fine fiscal shale will gradually ‘eat away’ at the
river bed, resulting in a ridge which the water will tumble over.
Waterfalls may also develop through joints in weaknesses
or planes of homogenous harder rock types causing large, symmetrical boulders
to break away resulting in the formation of rocky ledges. Welsh Waterfalls
have also been formed at sites where ‘sills’ or ‘dykes’
of super hard igneous rocks (rocks formed from the cooling and solidification
of molten rock material) have intruded into the softer, sedimentary strata.
The Welsh Ice Age, another cause of Waterfall formation, lead to the development
of glaciers which, moving down river valleys plucking out large areas
of valley walls, caused tributaries to fall as Waterfalls into drainage
areas of the river basin. These phenomena are known as ‘hanging valleys’.
Swallow Falls - Snowdonia - North Wales
Cenarth Falls - West Wales
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