How Waterfalls Are Created by Erosion

SciShow Kids

This educational video from SciShow Kids explores the geological formation of waterfalls, using the majestic Angel Falls in Venezuela as a primary example. Hosted by Jessi and her robot mouse companion Squeaks, the video begins by distinguishing between typical rivers that flow downhill and those that dramatically drop off cliffs. It highlights Angel Falls as the tallest waterfall in the world, providing a comparison to the Burj Khalifa to help students visualize its immense scale. The core of the video explains the scientific process of erosion in a way that is accessible to young learners. Through clear animations and analogies, it demonstrates how rivers flowing over layers of rock with different hardness levels can carve out cliffs over millions of years. The video introduces the concept of "erosion"—the wearing away of rock by water—and explains how water erodes soft rock faster than hard rock, eventually creating the vertical drop necessary for a waterfall to exist. For educators, this video serves as an excellent introduction to Earth science and geology concepts like landforms, erosion, and rock strata. It effectively simplifies the abstract concept of deep geological time and rock layering using concrete visual aids, such as a layer cake analogy and a sandcastle comparison. The video provides natural stopping points for classroom discussions about how water shapes the land around us and includes a specific case study (Angel Falls) that connects geography with physical science.