For this week’s Friday Fotos we’re sharing some interesting views of Niagara Falls ~ esp. in video at bottom.
According to Wikipedia, 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. They form the southern end of the Niagara Gorge.
From largest to smallest, the three waterfalls are the Horseshoe Falls (on the Canadian side) and the American Falls and the Bridal Veil Falls (on the American side). The international boundary line was originally drawn through Horseshoe Falls in 1819, but the boundary has long been in dispute due to natural erosion and construction.
Some interesting facts from Niagara Falls Canada…
- The Falls at Niagara are about 12,000 years old
- Falls were formed when melting glaciers formed massive fresh-water lakes (the Great Lakes) one of which (Lake Erie) ran downhill toward another (Lake Ontario). The rushing waters carved out a river in their descent and at one point passed over a steep cliff like formation (the Niagara escarpment). From the original falls going over the Niagara Escarpment, the water began to wear its way back up the river. The path that it left is known today as the Niagara Gorge (a deeply-cut and very scenic river path).
- Currently, Niagara Falls wears its way back another approximately 1 foot/year.
- The Niagara River flows at approximately 35 miles/hour (56.3 kilometers/hour).
- The Horseshoe Falls are 180 feet (57 meters) high and allow 6 million cubic feet (168,000 cubic meters) of water over the crestline every minute during peak daytime tourist hours (that is about a million bathtubs full of water every minute!)
The following photos are from Niagara Falls Canada and Niagara Falls USA
Falls from the Skylon elevator
The Falls at night
Falls on USA side
We also found an amazing vid by questpact who explains “this video was taken from an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) operating in US and Canadian Restricted Airspace. Operating a UAS in this airspace presents a hazard to other aircraft and people and requires specific approval of the FAA and other agencies.”
His video provides some fascinating aerial views of Niagara Falls from his remote control helicopter. Enjoy! j & B