Iguazu Falls, the world’s largest waterfall located between Argentina and Brazil, has experienced a dramatic drop in water volume thanks to a lack of rain.
The 1,600 cubic metres per second that usually fall down the 275 waterfalls in the park have reportedly decreased to 288 cubic metres.
This is a figure lower than the last drought in 2006 when the cubic metres of water falling per second decreased to 300.
Do you remember when the Cataratas del Iguazu flooded?
Local media reports that the drop is due to the lack of rain which has caused a drought in the region as well as Brazilian electricity companies closing their upriver dams against the warning messages of UNESCO.
The closure of the dams has reportedly affected the water supply in the region of Puerto Iguazu.
Local water supplies are also affected by the drop in water.
Iguazu Falls was formed as the result of a volcanic eruption, and spans an area of 2.7 kilometres.
Of its 275 waterfalls, Devil’s Throat is the tallest measuring more more than 80 metres – nearly twice as tall as Niagara Falls.
This is how the Iguazu Falls normally look like:
The name ‘Iguazu’ comes from the native Guarani language and translates as “big water”.
During the rainy reason from November to March, its water flow can peak at 13,000 cubic metres per second – the equivalent of five Olympic swimming pools.
I was there 6 years ago and I was lucky enough to enjoy the real waterfalls! Hope they will come back to life!
Just a few days ago, the largest waterfall in Ecuador was swallowed up by a sinkhole. More devastating environmental news on Strange Sounds and Steve Quayle. [Telefe, Instagram]
Think the three large dams on that river might be holding water. They can only hold it back then they have to let regular flow, at least the reservoirs will be full. and besides all three dams are in Brazil…..
I understand that the same thing is happening to a major waterfall in Columbia! The only difference is that they found that the water was going into a sinkhole!
Was that in Columbia or Ecuador where the water went into a sinkhole ?
Ecuador: sinkhole has swallowed up the largest waterfall of the country: https://strangesounds.org/2020/03/giant-sinkhole-swallows-biggest-waterfall-ecuador-video.html