Cerberus Falls is a segmented horsetail waterfall located at the head of Icefall Canyon in the Continental Ranges of British Columbia, Canada. With a total height of 475 m (1,558 ft), the falls are tied with Kiwi Falls on Vancouver Island as the 8th tallest confirmed waterfall in Canada. It is also the tallest waterfall in Canada by tallest single drop and the 26th tallest waterfall in the world by tallest single drop.[4]

Cerberus Falls
Map
LocationColumbia-Shuswap, British Columbia, Canada
Coordinates51°53′39″N 117°04′19″W / 51.89405°N 117.0720°W / 51.89405; -117.0720[1]
TypeSegmented horsetails
Elevation1,814 m (5,951 ft)
Total height475 m (1,558 ft)
Number of drops1
Longest drop475 m (1,558 ft)
Total width198 m (650 ft)
Average width122 m (400 ft)
Run213 m (699 ft)
WatercourseIcefall Brook[2]
Average
flow rate
14 m3/s (490 cu ft/s)
World height ranking140th (overall)[3]
26th (tallest single drop)[4]

Structure

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Cerberus Falls forms as Icefall Brook emerges from the Southwest Lyell Glaciers[5] and cascade over the edge of a glacially scoured trough. The falls form two to four distinct segments depending on seasonal melt. During high flow, three of the four segments appear grouped close together while the fourth appears further to the southwest.[1]

The southernmost segment plunges in three massive steps. The middle segment skips down the cliff in one long horsetail. The northernmost segment plunges down into a narrow slot canyon before reemerging as a veiling horsetail near the base of the cliff.[1]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Cerberus Falls, British Columbia, Canada - World Waterfall Database". www.worldwaterfalldatabase.com. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
  2. ^ "Icefall Brook". apps.gov.bc.ca. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
  3. ^ "Tallest and Largest Waterfalls at the World Waterfall Database". www.worldwaterfalldatabase.com. Retrieved 2020-11-03.
  4. ^ a b "Tallest and Largest Waterfalls at the World Waterfall Database". www.worldwaterfalldatabase.com. Retrieved 2020-11-05.
  5. ^ "Southwest Lyell Glaciers". apps.gov.bc.ca. Retrieved 2020-11-01.