Dry Falls largest waterfall known to have existed on earth,

Dry Falls no longer carries water, but is the remnant of what was once the largest waterfall known to have existed on earth.(6x larger than Niagra Falls)

To get an idea of the scale of the flood -->
View 3D Panorama of Dry Falls--> In this 3D Panorama -your only looking at the western half of the falls ( 2000meters) . The eastern horseshoe is out of view (600 meters)

3D View of Dry Falls

The falls were created following the catastrophic collapse of an enormous ice-dam holding back the waters of what has been named "Glacier Lake Missoula".

Water covering three thousand square miles of northwest Montana, about the volume of Lake Ontario, was locked behind this glacial dam until the rising lake penetrated, lifted and then blew out the ice dam. The massive torrent (known as the Missoula Flood) ran wild through the Idaho panhandle, the Spokane River Valley, much of eastern Washington and into Oregon, flooding the area that is now the city of Portland under 400 feet of water.

Reaching the Dry Falls area, this tremendous force swept away earth and rock from a precipice actually 15 miles south of the falls near Soap Lake, causing the falls to retreat to its present position, now known as Dry Falls. The falls is said to be a spectacular example of "headward erosion". If this is confusing, given the present topography, it also helps to know the falls are on an ancient course of the Columbia River. The river had been diverted this way by the encroaching glaciers. It returned to its present course as the ice retreated.

Regards
danescombe

wow,i can't imagine how big dry falls is because it is 6x bigger than niagara falls.I think there's no other waterfall bigger than dry falls.

The estimate that the flood lasted for approx 2months. That was the time it took to drain the pro-glacial lake behing the ice dam.

Hi Dan, Interesting post, thanks, Is it possible that water may run over here ever again given the right circumstances?
Cheers.

Yes. given the right conditions. but these will take along time.
You'd first need an Ice Age lasting at least +10,000 years to build up enough ice to cover Canada and Northern USA, . Then a period of ice retreat and melting.
It was this retreat that created the pro-glacial lake behind an ice dam. The continued melting and retreat led to the Ice dam failing and the Missoula Flood.

There was a smaller but similar flood in Iceland Nov 1996 . A Volcano eruption UNDER a glacier lead to similar conditions. A huge ice melt lake held back by an ice dam.. This led to a ice dam burst and a huge flood of dirty black water, swirling with massive boulders.

Check out 'The Vatnaj�kull Eruption in Southern Iceland' in Google to know more. This event will give you an idea of what the Dry Falls / Missoula Floods must have been like 9000 years ago.
best regards

Thanks for the info, will check it out.
Cheers.

Check out 'The Vatnaj�kull Eruption in Southern Iceland' in Google to know more. This event will give you an idea of what the Dry Falls / Missoula Floods must have been like 9000 years ago.

interesting info.

The falls started 15km downstream, however due to undercutting, the falls migrated 'upstream'. it is estimated that all this happened in approx 5 weeks.

Now I've heard in many shows on the discovery channel that the largest waterfall every in earths history was at the strait of gibralter when the med. sea filled.