The future movement of Niagara Falls. Source
Catholicgauze has just returned from the "Cave of the Winds" tour which involved me getting pelted by water from the Bridal Veil Falls, part of the Niagara Falls.
A neat thing about the tour was being able to see the various layers of rocks that reveal the history of the falls. Originally the falls were much more north, right at the edge of the Niagara Escarpment. The shale and sandstone eroded quickly underneath the harder lockport dolemite forcing rock falls and the slow migration of the falls south. The path the falls have taken is clearly seen in the gorge.
The falls, especially the Canadian Horseshoe Falls, are still eroding. The falls will finish its long march all the way down to Buffalo, New York in about 30,000 years.
For a detailed explanation on the historic geology of the falls check out Origins of Niagara - A Geological History.
2 comments:
Just a minor quibble...
Niagara Falls was never located at Lake Ontario. They started at the Niagara Escarpment, marked on your map. The escarpment is less than half way between the falls and Lake Ontario. Lake Erie is blue water, but the lands north of the escarpment are dark grey, presumably indicating a lower elevation.
You're right Christopher. Blog post is fixed. Thank you!
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