American Falls

1. The word "Niagara" is derived from the Iroquois Indian word "Onguiaahra"  meaning "the strait Bridal Veil Falls Horseshoe Falls American Falls 

2. American Falls [Prospect point] length of brink:  1060 feet height:  176 feet  volume of water: 150,000 U.S. Gallons per second Horseshoe Falls [Terrapin point] length of brink: 2600 feet height: 167 feet volume of water: 600,000 U.S. gallons per second

3. Approximately 500 years ago the river encountered an obstacle that caused it to split into two channels, thus Goat Island was formed named after John Stedman whose goat herds froze to death in the winter of 1780. This was the original sediment left from a vanished Lake Tonawanda. Goat Island

4. In the winter.. The tremendous volume of water never stops flowing,  However, the falling water and mist create ice formations along the banks of the falls and river. This can result in mounds of ice as thick as fifty feet.

5. The first person to see and describe the falls in length was Father Louis Hennepin, a French priest who accompanied LaSalle on his expedition to the Niagara region in 1678.

6. One fifth of all the fresh water in the world lies in the four Upper Great Lakes-Michigan, Huron, Superior and Erie. All the outflow empties into the Niagara river and eventually cascades over the falls. The Niagara River is actually a strait, connecting two large bodies of water, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario

7. The Niagara is a fairly young river, only 12,000 years old, a microsecond in geological time. Niagara Escarpment, which was created by erosion is much older. The glaciers pressed down on the land during the last ice age and laid down layers of sediment, then the slow process of erosion of ice and water ate at the surface of the escarpment.

8. The mighty river plunges over a cliff of dolostone and shale. Niagara Falls is the second largest falls on the globe next to Victoria Falls in southern Africa. Shale Dolostone

9. In 1882, Nikola Tesla discovered the rotating magnetic field, a fundamental principle in physics and the basis of devices that use alternating current. Tesla used a rotating magnet to make an alternating current induction motor for the generation, transmission, distribution and use of electrical power.

10. In November 1896, electrical power was transmitted from the Adams Power Plant in Niagara Falls, New York to Buffalo, New York. This was the first time in the world that alternating current was transmitted over a long distance. Man has not been able to completely control the flow of the water over the falls, even modern engineers have tried. Much of the water today is fed through underground channels and pipes to nearby hydro electric power stations. The Falls are capable of producing over 4 million kilowatts of electricity, which is shared by the United States and Canada.

11. Take this short quiz to test your ‘Niagara Falls’ knowledge Click here to return to the ‘Niagara Falls’ Homepage Or [Click the picture for the Homepage] [Click the picture for the Quiz]

12. Quiz Questions 1. How many actual water falls makes up Niagara Falls? 2. How many gallons of water per second flow over Niagara Falls? 3. What Island is located between the American/ bridal veil falls and the horseshoe falls? 4. Do the Falls freeze over the winter? 5. What year was the first year the falls were first discovered and documented? 6. What percent of the world’s freshwater flows over the falls? 7. How many years old is the Niagara river? 8. Is Niagara Falls the largest water fall in the world? 9. Who is responsible for discovering the ‘alternating current’ for use in creating electrical power? 10. How many kilowatts of electricity can the falls produce? [Click the picture for the answers] [Click the picture for the Homepage]

13. Quiz Answers 1. Three falls: American, Bridal Veil & Horseshoe. 2. 750,000 gallons/ second. 3. Goat Island. 4. No, the Falls never completely freeze over. 5. 1678, by Father Louis Hennepin. 6. 20%. 7. 12,000 years old. 8. No, 2nd largest. 9. Nikola Tesla. 10. 4 million kilowatts. [Click the picture for the Homepage]