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When most people are asked what the tallest waterfalls in the world are, they either answer that they don’t know, or they say Angel Falls, which is an astounding 979 meters (3212 feet) with a plunge of 807 meters (2649 feet).
While there is no doubt that Angel Falls is huge (and absolutely stunning), it is far from the largest in the world, even if it is the tallest uninterrupted waterfall on land.
For the world’s largest waterfall, you will need to look underwater. As odd as that sounds, it is true.
The largest waterfall in the world is called the Denmark Strait overflow, and it is located under the Denmark Strait, which is between Greenland and Iceland.
NOAA
In this 11,500 foot waterfall, the water from the Greenland Sea falls into the Irminger Sea for 3.5 kilometers (2.2 miles).
On top of that, it is about 160 kilometers (100 miles) wide, which is almost unbelievable.
And this isn’t just a slow drop of water. It has about 123 million cubic feet of water flowing down every second.
For context, that is over 2000 times more than Niagara Falls.
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This underwater waterfall occurs because cold water is denser than warmer water, according to the National Ocean Service. So, when the cold water from the Nordic Seas flows south and meets up with the warmer waters of the Irminger Sea, it sinks down into the huge drop in the sea floor, forming the waterfall.
While incredible, few would argue that this huge waterfall is as beautiful as Angel Falls, Niagara Falls, or any of the other iconic waterfalls on land.
It is, however, an example of how the oceans are constantly moving heat around the world using huge currents, which, at least in this case, include currents that form underwater waterfalls.
If you thought that was interesting, you might like to read about why we should be worried about the leak in the bottom of the ocean.