‘Niagara
Falls’ is the collective name for three
waterfalls that straddle the international border between Canada and the United
States; more specifically, between the province of Ontario and the state of New
York. From largest to smallest, the
three waterfalls are the Horseshoe Falls, the American Falls and the Bridal
Veil Falls. The Horseshoe Falls lie mostly on the Canadian
side. Located on the Niagara River,
which drains Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, the combined falls form the highest
flow rate of any waterfall in the world, with a vertical drop of more than 165
feet (50 m). Horseshoe Falls is the most powerful waterfall in North America,
as measured by vertical height and also by flow rate. Niagara Falls were formed
when glaciers receded at the end of the Wisconsin glaciation (the last ice
age), and water from the newly formed Great Lakes carved a path. While not exceptionally high, the Niagara
Falls are very wide.
The
Niagara Falls are renowned both for their beauty and as a valuable source of
hydroelectric power. Managing the balance between
recreational, commercial, and industrial uses has been a challenge for the
stewards of the falls since the 19th century. Now it is reported in many
newspapers including Daily Mail that - Niagara Falls has frozen over as extreme
winter weather continues across the East Coast - and it is going to get even
colder.
Extreme winter
weather has been causing problems for millions across the East Coast, but it
has also made for some beautiful sights. Among those beautiful sights is
Niagara Falls, which has now frozen over due to temperatures which dropped to
16F on Wednesday. And it looks like the popular tourist destination may stay
frozen, as temperatures are expected to drop even lower. The attention the Falls is receiving is
bringing a crowd to view them in their majestic, winter splendor!' said the communications & community relations
manager for the Falls. Yet another
arctic blast is set to strike the central and eastern United States on
Wednesday evening, bringing sub-zero temperatures to many parts; then things
are going to get even colder.
The cold weather
will also bring with it high winds, this time some reaching 40 mph in areas. Meanwhile, the effects of this weekend's
winter weather are still being felt by the 330,000 people without power in
Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. The storm system left more than a foot of
snow in parts of the South, while an accompanying ice storm caused a number of
fatal road accidents. All government offices in Washington DC were closed on
Tuesday due to the dangerous blend of snow and ice that has made travel
increasingly difficult. Meanwhile,
Strawberry Plains, Tennessee, saw a ¾-inch coating of ice, according to NBC. In Philadelphia, a medical center is set to be
demolished as after a fire broke out the water used to put out the blaze has
caused thick ice to form all over the structure.
Even as we read
this a report in Firstpost of 25.2.15 states the icy spectacle, brought on by
weeks of severe cold, has drawn a steady flow of intrepid tourists. But are the
Falls really frozen? Not exactly. It states that the water never actually stops
flowing underneath. That is no accident: the Niagara River is an important
source of hydropower, so a long ice boom made of steel catches any icebergs, while
ice cutters work around the clock to prevent the Falls from jamming up. If it's cold enough for long enough, an ice
bridge forms along the river, connecting the US and Canada. Day-trippers once
enjoyed sledding and drinking on the ice bridge until 1912, when it broke up
and three people died — a Canadian couple who became stranded on a piece of ice
and an American teenager who tried to save them. Their story is the subject of
an online graphic novel, Hecock, named for the Cleveland teen who died. Walking
anywhere on the ice has been strictly banned ever since.
Interesting
indeed
With regards – S.
Sampathkumar
18th Feb 2015.
