Comet Falls is a tall
waterfall
A waterfall is any point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge
of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf.
Waterfalls can be formed in seve ...
located on
Van Trump Creek
Van Trump Creek, also called Van Trump Falls Creek or the Van Trump Fork of the Nisqually River, is a creek in Pierce County, Washington. It is a tributary of the Nisqually River, joining the river just above the mouth of the Paradise River. ...
in
Pierce County, Washington
Pierce County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 921,130, up from 795,225 in 2010, making it the second-most populous ...
. The falls are thought to be the best in the
Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier ( ), also known as Tahoma, is a large active stratovolcano in the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest in the United States. The mountain is located in Mount Rainier National Park about south-southeast of Seattle. With an off ...
region.
Stature
At first glance the falls drop about out of a
hanging valley
A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains and typically containing a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams over a ve ...
in one lofty plunge. The height of the plunge is actually . The falls are more than that though, as there are two obvious smaller tiers below the main drop as well as one just visible above the main drop. The bottom two drops are 40 and high while the height of the upper drop is not known. In any case, assuming the upper drop is at least high, the falls are likely around high.
Debris Flow of 2001
Due to the strong
bedrock
In geology, bedrock is solid rock that lies under loose material ( regolith) within the crust of Earth or another terrestrial planet.
Definition
Bedrock is the solid rock that underlies looser surface material. An exposed portion of bed ...
the falls flow over, the falls themselves were not damaged, but the mudflows still left their mark. A canyon up to deep was carved by the mudflows just below the falls and all plant life lining the creek below the falls was washed away and replaced by dead vegetation. Also, the pool at the base of the main drop was filled in by rock and debris.
Floods of 2003 and 2006
The floods of 2003 and 2006 actually helped the falls a lot because it removed most of the debris that previously lined the creek below the falls. Once again, due to the strong bedrock the falls flow over, the falls were not altered much.
See also
*
List of waterfalls
This list of notable waterfalls of the world is sorted by continent, then country, then province, state or territory. A waterfall is included if it is at least tall and has an existing Wikipedia article, or it is considered historically sig ...
References
{{coord, 46, 47, 45, N, 121, 46, 48, W, display=title
Mount Rainier National Park
Waterfalls of Pierce County, Washington
Waterfalls of Washington (state)
Plunge waterfalls