About Denmark Strait Cataract:
- It is the largest waterfall on Earth, situated in an underwater channel between Iceland and Greenland.
- With a vertical fall measuring 2,000 metres, it’s over three times the height of the Angel Falls, the world's tallest land-based waterfall, which stands at just over 979 metres.
- Stretching across the width of the Denmark Strait, the cataract spans roughly 480 kilometres.
- Despite its size, the Denmark Strait cataract remains concealed beneath the waves and undetectable from the surface.
- Formation:
- It was formed during the last Ice Age, approximately 17,500 to 11,500 years ago.
- Glacial activity in the region shaped the sloping seabed, which now channels cold water from the Nordic Seas into the Irminger Sea (marginal sea of the North Atlantic Ocean).
- This process contributes significantly to the thermohaline circulation, a global system of ocean currents.
