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ОглавлениеRelative Size of Lakes of the Western Hemisphere
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PRINCIPAL SALT-WATER LAKES OF THE WORLD
| NAME | Location | Area in Square Miles | Mean Elevation in Feet | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Sea | Asia and Europe | 170,000 | Sea-level | |
| Caspian Sea | Asia | 170,000 | 90 | below sea-level |
| Sea of Aral | Asia | 26,160 | 157 | above sea-level |
| Balkash | Asia | 7,135 | 779 | above sea-level |
| Maracaibo | South America | 6,315 | 0 | above sea-level |
| Eyre | Australia | 3,600 | 70 | above sea-level |
| Titicaca (slightly saline) | South America | 3,200 | 12,506 | above sea-level |
| Issik-kul | Asia | 2,250 | 5,300 | above sea-level |
| Great Salt Lake | North America | 2,177 | 4,218 | above sea-level |
| Koko-nor | Asia | 2,040 | 9,970 | above sea-level |
| Urumiah | Asia | 1,795 | 4,100 | above sea-level |
| Van | Asia | 1,400 | 5,200 | above sea-level |
| Dead Sea | Asia | 444 | 1,290 | below sea-level |
| Ngami (nearly dried up) | Africa | 297 | 2,919 | above sea-level |
Relative Size of Lakes of the Eastern Hemisphere
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PRINCIPAL FRESH-WATER LAKES OF THE WORLD
| NAME | Location | Area in Square Miles | Mean Elevation in Feet | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Superior | North America | 31,200 | 601 | above sea-level | |
| Victoria Nyanza | Africa | 26,500 | 3,300 | above sea-level | |
| Huron | North America | 23,800 | 581 | above sea-level | |
| Michigan | North America | 22,450 | 581 | above sea-level | |
| Baikal | Asia | 13,200 | 1,542 | above sea-level | |
| Tanganyika | Africa | 12,000 | 2,756 | above sea-level | |
| Great Bear | North America | 11,200 | 391 | above sea-level | |
| Nyassa | Africa | 10,230 | 1,706 | above sea-level | |
| Great Slave | North America | 10,200 | 520 | above sea-level | |
| Erie | North America | 9,960 | 573 | above sea-level | |
| Winnipeg | North America | 9,400 | 710 | above sea-level | |
| Lake of the Woods | North America | 7,650 | 1,060 | above sea-level | |
| Ontario | North America | 7,240 | 247 | above sea-level | |
| Ladoga | Europe | 6,998 | 49 | above sea-level | |
| Tchad | Africa | 6,000 to 40,000 | 1,150 | above sea-level | |
| Athabasca | North America | 4,400 | 690 | above sea-level | |
| Onega | Europe | 3,760 | 237 | above sea-level | |
| Nicaragua | Central America | 2,972 | 131 | above sea-level | |
| Wener | Europe | 2,400 | 147 | above sea-level | |
| Albert Nyanza | Africa | 1,730 | 2,230 | above sea-level | |
| Dembea | Africa | 1,000 | 6,100 | above sea-level | |
| Wetter | Europe | 936 | 288 | above sea-level | |
| Champlain | North America | 750 | 96 | above sea-level | |
| Managua | North America | 560 | 154 | above sea-level | |
| Bangweolo[80] | Africa | 400 to 5,800 | 3,690 | above sea-level | |
| St. Clair | North America | 396 | 576 | above sea-level | |
| Balaton (Platten See) | Europe | 266 | 426 | above sea-level | |
| Geneva (or Leman) | Europe | 214 | 1,220 | above sea-level | |
| Constance (or Boden See) | Europe | 208 | 1,308 | above sea-level | |
| Garda | Europe | 136 | 213 | above sea-level | |
| Neuchatel | Europe | 90 | 1,424 | above sea-level | |
| Maggiore | Europe | 78 | 646 | above sea-level | |
| Cayuga | North America | 76 | 381 | above sea-level | |
| George | North America | 61 | 323 | above sea-level | |
| Como | Europe | 56 | 649 | above sea-level | |
| Lucerne | Europe | 40 | 1,435 | above sea-level | |
| Zurich | Europe | 37 | 1⁄2 | 1,340 | above sea-level |
Africa. The great plateau lakes are typical of the continent. The Victoria Nyanza and Albert Nyanza, feeding the White Nile; Tanganyika, whose outlet is unknown; Tzana, at the head of the Blue Nile; and Lake Nyassa, in the Zambezi basin, all rest on the high plateaus of Central Africa. Lake Tchad alone, among large African lakes, is surrounded by low plains.
Waterfalls and Rapids. The variations in the slope of a river-bed, arising from unequal erosion, or from the original irregularities in the surface, give rise to rapids and falls.
The first occur where an increased slope causes the stream to flow with more than its average velocity. The second are caused by nearly perpendicular rocky walls, down which the foaming water descends in picturesque cascades, or imposing cataracts.
The famous “Cataracts of the Nile” are merely rapids which impede but do not entirely obstruct, the navigation as cataracts must. The so-called Falls of St. Anthony, in the upper Mississippi, and the rapids of the St. Lawrence, above Montreal, are among the finest rapids in American rivers.
The highest falls are in the upper course of rivers, in mountainous regions; the greatest and most imposing, in their middle course.
The Niagara Falls exhibit a most important industrial utilization of water power. The Falls of St. Anthony in the Mississippi, the Falls of Foyers in Scotland, the Rhine falls, the Rhone falls of Bellegarde, and the innumerable waterfalls of Scandinavia, Switzerland, and similar mountainous lands, are all utilized in this way. It has been proposed to convey power generated at the Victoria falls of the Zambezi to the Rand goldfield of the Transvaal, and a scheme for this is now being prepared.
FAMOUS WATERFALLS OF THE WORLD
| Name | Location | Height (feet) |
|---|---|---|
| Bridal Veil | California | 900 |
| Foyers | Great Britain | 205 |
| Gastein Falls | Austria | 469 |
| Gavarnie | Pyrenees | 1,400 |
| Genesee | New York | 95 |
| Grand Falls | Labrador | 2,000 |
| Great Falls | Montana | 500 |
| Hay River | Alaska | 200 |
| Kaieteur Falls | Guiana | 740 |
| Krimmler Falls | Austria | 1,300 |
| Kukenam Fall | Guiana | 1,500 |
| Maanelvan | Norway | 940 |
| Minnehaha | Minnesota | 50 |
| Missouri | Montana | 90 |
| Montmorenci | Quebec | 265 |
| Multnomah | Oregon | 850 |
| Murchison | Africa | 120 |
| Nevada Falls | California | 600 |
| Niagara | New York | 165 |
| Oroco Falls | Monte Rosa | 2,400 |
| Rjukanfos | Norway | 804 |
| Roraima Fall | Guiana | 2,000 |
| Rukaufos | Norway | 513 |
| St. Anthony | Minnesota | 80 |
| Schaffhausen | Switzerland | 100 |
| Seven Falls | Colorado | 266 |
| Shoshone | Idaho | 210 |
| Skykjefos | Norway | 700 |
| Snoqualmie | Washington | 268 |
| Staubbach | Switzerland | 1,000 |
| Stirling | New Zealand | 500 |
| Sutherland | New Zealand | 1,904 |
| Takkakaw | British Columbia | 1,200 |
| Tequendama | Colombia | 475 |
| Tessa Falls | Austria | 541 |
| Twin | Idaho | 180 |
| Velino Falls | Italy | 591 |
| Vermafos | Norway | 984 |
| Vettisfos | Norway | 950 |
| Victoria Falls | Zambezi | 400 |
| Voringsfos | Norway | 600 |
| Yellowstone (upper) | Montana | 110 |
| Yellowstone (lower) | Montana | 310 |
| Yguazu or Iguazu | Brazil | 210 |
| Yosemite (upper) | California | 1,436 |
| Yosemite (middle) | California | 626 |
| Yosemite (lower) | California | 400 |
FAMOUS WATER PICTURES OF THE NEW AND OLD WORLD
Niagara in winter presents a picture of frozen grandeur equaled nowhere else in the world.
The Rhine at Schaffhausen, Switzerland, rushes over rugged rocks on its way down from the highlands into the lovely and historic valley it has carved for itself on its way to the sea.
FAR-FAMED WATERFALLS THAT HAVE INSPIRED TRAVELERS AND WRITERS
1. The Niagara Falls and rapids form one of the most impressive spectacles in the world. The Niagara River, which is the sole outlet of the great lakes, pours itself in two vast sheets over a precipice about 160 feet high. Goat Island, which is situated on the lip of the falls, divides the cataract into two sections—the Horseshoe, or Canadian fall, which is by far the more majestic, and the America fall. It has a descent of 158 feet and the American fall of 167 feet. The volume of water which sweeps over this immense chasm is about 15,000,000 cubic feet per minute. The limestone edge of both falls is wearing away in the center, the Canadian fall now being V-shaped, and the American fall showing the same tendency, although its process of recession has begun more recently. For some distance below the falls there is smooth current, the mass of water which pours over the precipice sinking and only coming to the surface two miles below, where the rapids, more magnificent and wilder than those above the falls, begin, and culminate in the rapids of the Upper Whirlpool. Lower down the river is the whirlpool itself, where a sharp turn sends the waters hurling against the Canadian side; they then sweep round in a gigantic circle before they find a vent at right angle with their former course. The sight of the falls is equally awe-inspiring from the bridge on the lip of the fall, from the boat which plies from shore to shore below the cataract, or from the Cave of the Winds, reached from Goat Island. Although in summer the magnificence of the sight is extraordinary, it is in winter, when the wizardry of the frost is upon it, that it is superlatively beautiful. The falls were first discovered by Father Hennepin in 1678.
2. The Falls of Juanacatlan (hoo-ă-nă-kwt-lăn), Mexico, are located near the island city of Guadalajara (guă-dă-lă-hă´ră) on the Rio Grande de Santiago. Though only 70 feet in height they are more than 600 feet wide, and as known as the “Niagara” of Mexico.
3. The Cataracts of Iguazu (e-gwă´soo) on the frontiers of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. These falls, situated in a remote wilderness, far from civilization, are a veritable fortress in protecting the peace-loving peoples on their borders. They constitute a series of falls extending over three miles, and more than 200 feet in height, and of magnificent scenic beauty. Their energy is estimated to be about 14,000,000 horse-power, or almost three times that of Niagara.
4. The Yosemite (yo-sem´i-tee) Falls of California, are highest and probably the most remarkable of their class. They descend on almost perpendicular ledge of rocks 2,600 feet high to the bottom of the Yosemite valley, forming three separate cataracts. The first fall is 1,600 feet sheer descent. Then comes a series of cascades, partly hidden, 600 feet downward, and a final leap of 400 feet. Seen from afar, the Yosemite Falls seem insignificant; but they are, in fact, 35 feet wide, and the shock of their descent is observed a mile away.
5. The Staubbach (stoub´băk) Falls, in the Swiss Alps near Lauterbrunnen, descends a precipice of 980 feet, and is reduced to spray like a misty veil before reaching the bottom. It is the highest unbroken fall in Switzerland, and the most noted.
6. The Great Falls of the Yellowstone, though not so high, vie with the Yosemite in striking beauty. These famous falls plunge from a height of 360 feet into the abyss of a mighty chasm. At the point of descent, the waters of the Yellowstone suddenly contract from a width of 250 feet to 75 feet.
7. The Bridal Veil Falls of California, belong to the famous Yosemite Valley. Its waters, over 30 feet wide, leap from the granite rocks on the south wall of the Yosemite in two vertical descents aggregating over 900 feet. The first fall covers a distance of 600 feet, then the waters rushing over a sloping pile of jagged rocks drops a perpendicular distance of 300 feet more. From the chief points of view it seems to make but one plunge, in an unbroken descent similar to the Staubbach, but carrying a much greater volume of water. Frequently the wind swings the great plume of water from the face of the cliff and waves it like a scarf or veil. At sunset rainbows with an indescribable radiance bejewel its foam and the glistening leaves surrounding it.
8. The Reichenbach (ri´ken-băk) Falls near Meiningen, Switzerland, comprise five fine cascades in the Reichenbach River. The most gorgeous of these, known as the Upper Fall, makes a huge leap of 300 feet into a deep rocky basin, which then continues in several foaming and plunging cascades in general aspect not unlike the Niagara gorge.
