Subterranean waterfall

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Ruby Falls is an underground waterfall within a cave in Tennessee, United States
Gaping Gill chamber with the waterfall in the background.

A subterranean waterfall, tierous waterfall, or underground waterfall is a waterfall located underground, usually in a cave or mine. They are a common feature in cave systems where there are vertical or near vertical geological structures for the weathering process to exploit, and sufficient gradient between the sink and the rising.[1][2] The highest known subterranean waterfall is in the Vrtoglavica Cave in Slovenia, with at least 400 metres (1,300 ft).[3]

Notable examples

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Name Height Location Notes
Vrtoglavica Cave waterfall[3] 400 m (1,300 ft) Plužna, Bovec Slovenia Highest subterranean waterfall
Gaping Gill waterfall 98 m (322 ft) North Yorkshire, England United Kingdom Located in the Yorkshire Dales
Grotte aux Fées waterfall 77 m (253 ft) Saint-Maurice, Valais Switzerland The highest waterfall in a show cave
Silver Falls 64 m (210 ft) Townsend, Tennessee United States Located in the Tuckaleechee Caverns
Ruby Falls[4] 44 m (144 ft) Chattanooga, Tennessee United States
Lacy Suicide Falls 42 m (138 ft) Cass, West Virginia United States Located in the Cass Cave

See also

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References

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