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 ...

s, the run (also known as the runout) is the linear distance the stream flows from the brink of the waterfall to its base. Therefore, a steeper waterfall would have a shorter run, and a less inclined waterfall would have a longer run. As an example,

rapids Rapids are sections of a river where the river bed has a relatively steep stream gradient, gradient, causing an increase in water velocity and turbulence. Flow, gradient, constriction, and obstacles are four factors that are needed for a rapid t ...

typically have longer runs, as their actual drop is usually much shorter than the distance they flow. Vertical waterfalls, such as

Yosemite Falls Yosemite Falls is the highest waterfall in Yosemite National Park, dropping a total of from the top of the upper fall to the base of the lower fall. Located in the Sierra Nevada (U.S.), Sierra Nevada of California, it is a major attraction in t ...

, have short runs.

References

{{reflist Waterfalls