The largest waterfall in the world is located under water.. How is that?

ArabiaWeather - Did you know that the largest waterfall in the world is located under water? Neither do we. Every day is a school day as they say.

The tallest waterfall on Earth is 3.5 kilometers (2.2 miles) high, and next to it Angel Falls, the tallest continuous waterfall on Earth, pales in comparison. The important question here is: Where is this giant underwater waterfall?

Where is the largest waterfall in the world located?

The largest waterfall is known as the Denmark Strait Waterfall, and can be seen between the islands of Greenland and Iceland. This waterfall extends from the Greenland Sea to the Ermenger Sea over a distance of up to 3 kilometers, and is three times higher than the famous Angel Waterfall in Venezuela.

The waterfall extends widely, covering a distance of 160 kilometers (100 mi), pouring into the ocean at a flow rate of 5 million cubic meters (175 million cubic feet) of water per second. This flow is approximately 2,000 times higher than the flow of Niagara Falls. This amazing natural phenomenon lies beneath the surface of the ocean and was first discovered in 1989.

But, how exactly is this possible? You may be wondering how there is an underwater waterfall

According to World Ocean Services, it's simply because of water temperature. Cold water has a higher density than hot and frozen water. When water from the Noradic Sea flows south and meets cooler water from the Erminger Sea, its temperature drops. The cold, heavy water sinks forcefully beneath the cooler water, creating a massive waterfall.

Unfortunately, climate change is an enemy of these underwater waterfalls. As the oceans continue to warm and fresh water declines, as well as the retreat of the ice sheets, there is a decrease in the volume of cold, dense water flowing down.

“A good example appears on the coast of Catalonia, where the number of polar days decreases in the Bay of Lions and the northern Catalan coast, inhibiting the oceanographic process that plays an important role in climate regulation,” explains Professor Ana Sánchez-Vidal, leader of the research expedition on the Denmark Strait Cascade. And its significant impact on the economic system.”

Source: iflscience