A plunge pool (or plunge basin or waterfall lake) is a deep depression in a stream bed at the base of a

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 ...

or shut-in. It is created by the erosional forces of cascading water on the rocks at the formation's base where the water impacts.Marshak, Stephen, 2009, ''Essentials of Geology,'' W. W. Norton & Company, 3rd ed. The term may refer to the water occupying the depression, or the depression itself.

Formation

Plunge pools are formed by the natural force of falling water, such as at a

or cascade; they also result from man-made structures such as some

spillway A spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of water downstream from a dam or levee, typically into the riverbed of the dammed river itself. In the United Kingdom, they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways ensure tha ...

designs. Plunge pools are often very deep, generally related to the height of the fall, the volume of water, the resistance of the rock below the pool and other factors. The impacting and swirling water, sometimes carrying rocks within it, abrades the riverbed into a basin, which often features rough and irregular sides. Plunge pools can remain long after the waterfall has ceased flow or the stream has been diverted. Several examples of former plunge pools exist at Dry Falls in the

Channeled Scablands The Channeled Scablands are a relatively barren and soil-free region of interconnected relict and dry flood channels, coulees and cataracts eroded into Palouse loess and the typically flat-lying basalt flows that remain after cataclysmic floods ...

of eastern Washington. The Channeled Scablands of Eastern Washington: the geologic story of the Spokane flood
p.18-19

United States Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), founded as the Geological Survey, is an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior whose work spans the disciplines of biology, geography, geology, and hydrology. The agency was founded on Mar ...

(1973) They can also be found underwater in areas that were formerly above sea level, for example, Perth Canyon off the coast of

Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...

. Plunge pools are

fluvial A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of its course if it ru ...

features of erosion which occur in the youthful stage of river development, characterized by steeper gradients and faster water flows. Where softer or fractured rock has been eroded back to a knickpoint, water continues to bombard its base. Because this rock is often less resistant than overlying strata, the water from the higher elevation continues eroding downward until an equilibrium is achieved. A somewhat similar bowl-shaped feature developed by flowing water, as opposed to falling water, is known as a '' scour hole''. These occur both naturally and as a result of

bridge building A bridge is a structure built to Span (engineering), span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or railway) without blocking the path underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, whi ...

References

External links

USGS: Stream Modeling website
{{Rivers, streams and springs Bodies of water Erosion landforms Fluvial landforms Garden features Geomorphology Hydrology Natural pools Swimming pools Water streams

Formation

See also

References

External links