Editing Waterfall (section)

==Humans and waterfalls==
{{See also|Hydroelectricity|Hydropower}}
=== Research ===
The geographer [[Andrew Goudie (geographer)|Andrew Goudie]] wrote in 2020 that waterfalls have received "surprisingly limited research."{{Sfn|Goudie|2020|p=59}} [[Alexander von Humboldt]] wrote about them in the 1820s.{{Sfn|Hudson|2013b|p=365}} There is no name for the specific field of researching waterfalls, and in the published literature been described as "scattered",{{Sfn|Hudson|2013b|p=357}} though it is popular to describe studying waterfalls as "waterfallology".{{Sfn|Hudson|2013b|p=373}} An early paper written on waterfalls was published in 1884 by [[William Morris Davis]], a geologist known as the "father of American geography". In the 1930s Edward Rashleigh published a pioneering work on waterfalls.<ref name=":1" /> In 1942 [[Oscar von Engeln]] wrote of the lack of research on waterfalls:{{Sfn|Hudson|2013b|p=358}}

{{Blockquote|text=Waterfall sites more than any other geomorphic feature attract and hold the interest of the general public. Because they have such a popular approval
waterfalls are not given serious attention by some students of systematic geomorphology. This attitude is not to be commended. Waterfalls are significant items for geomorphic investigation.}}

As late as 1985 a scholar felt that "waterfalls remain a very much neglected aspect of river studies".{{Sfn|Hudson|2013b|p=362}} Studies of waterfalls increased dramatically in the second half of the 20th century. Numerous waterfall guidebooks exist, and the World Waterfall Database is a website cataloging thousands of waterfalls.<ref name=":1" />

=== Exploration and naming ===
[[File:Frederic Edwin Church - Niagara Falls, from the American Side - Google Art Project.jpg|thumb|''[[Niagara Falls, from the American Side]]'' ([[Frederic Edwin Church]], 1867)]]
Many explorers have visited waterfalls.{{Sfn|Goudie|2020|p=59}} European explorers recorded waterfalls they came across. In 1493, [[Christopher Columbus]] noted [[Carbet Falls]] in [[Guadeloupe]], which was likely the first waterfall Europeans recorded seeing in the Americas. In the late 1600s, [[Louis Hennepin]] visited North America, providing early descriptions of [[Niagara Falls]] and the [[Saint Anthony Falls]]. The geographer Brian J. Hudson argues that it was uncommon to specifically name waterfalls until the 1700s. The trend of Europeans specifically naming falls was in tandem with increased scientific focus on nature, the rise of [[Romanticism]], and increased importance of hydropower with the [[Industrial Revolution]]. European explorers often preferred to give waterfalls names in their own language; for instance, David Livingstone named [[Victoria Falls]] after [[Queen Victoria]], though it was known by local peoples as Mosi-oa-Tunya. Many waterfalls have descriptive names which can come from the river they are on, places they are near, their features, or events that happened near them.<ref name=":1" />

Some countries that were colonized by European nations have taken steps to return names to waterfalls previously renamed by European explorers.<ref name=":1" /> Exploration of waterfalls continues; the [[Gocta Cataracts]] were first announced to the world in 2006.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Hendrix|first=Steve|date=October 15, 2006|title=After the Falls Last spring, Peru announced it had discovered the world's third-tallest waterfall. We went to see this remote wonder, and discovered much more.|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/travel/2006/10/15/after-the-falls-span-classbankhead-last-spring-peru-announced-it-had-discovered-the-worlds-third-tallest-waterfall-we-went-to-see-this-remote-wonder-and-discovered-much-more-span/d7be2f0e-ba43-4ea1-b7a3-bcac64b1b215/|access-date=26 August 2021|archive-date=27 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230327162850/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/travel/2006/10/15/after-the-falls-span-classbankhead-last-spring-peru-announced-it-had-discovered-the-worlds-third-tallest-waterfall-we-went-to-see-this-remote-wonder-and-discovered-much-more-span/d7be2f0e-ba43-4ea1-b7a3-bcac64b1b215/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Waterfalls can pose major barriers to travel. Canals are sometimes built as a method to go around them, other times [[Portage|things must be physically carried around]] or [[Portage railway|a railway built]].<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=2013-03-28|title=waterfall|url=http://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/waterfall/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-08-27|website=National Geographic Society|language=en|archive-date=26 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210826000736/https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/waterfall/}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=Derek Hayes|year=2006|title=Historical Atlas of Canada: Canada's History Illustrated with Original Maps|page=210|publisher=[[Douglas & McIntyre]]|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KvtEUChw9uAC&pg=PA210|isbn=978-1-55365-077-5|quote=Most of Canada's first railways were portage railways, designed to meet river traffic and ferry it past rapids.|access-date=2013-03-23}}</ref> In 1885, the geographer [[George Chisholm (geographer)|George Chisholm]] wrote that, "The most signal example of the effect of waterfalls and rapids in retarding the development of civilisation is undoubtedly presented by the continent of Africa, the 'darkness' of which is almost entirely due to this cause."{{Sfn|Hudson|2013b|p=359}}

=== Development and tourism ===
Waterfalls are often visited by people simply to see them. Hudson theorizes that they make good tourism sites because they are generally considered beautiful and are relatively uncommon.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal|last=Hudson|first=Brian J.|date=2006-03-01|title=Waterfalls, Tourism and Landscape|journal=Geography|volume=91|issue=1|pages=3–12|doi=10.1080/00167487.2006.12094145|issn=0016-7487}}</ref> Activities at waterfalls can include bathing, swimming, photography, [[rafting]], [[canyoning]], [[abseiling]], [[rock climbing]], and [[ice climbing]].{{Sfn|Hudson|2013b|p=358}} Waterfalls can also be sites for generating hydroelectric power and can hold good fishing opportunities.{{Sfn|Hudson|2013b|p=360}} Wealthy people were known to visit areas with features such as waterfalls at least as early as in [[Ancient Rome]] and [[Ancient China|China]]. However, many waterfalls were essentially inaccessible due to the treacherous terrain surrounding them until improvements began to be made such as paths to the falls, becoming common across the United Kingdom and America in the 1800s and continuing through the 1900s and into the 21st century. Remote waterfalls are now often visited by air travel.<ref name=":2" />

Human development has also threatened many waterfalls. For instance, the [[Guaíra Falls]], once one of the most powerful waterfalls in the world, were submerged in 1982 by a human-made dam, as were the [[Ripon Falls]] in 1952. Conversely, other waterfalls have seen significantly lower water levels as a result of diversion for [[hydroelectricity]], such as the [[Tyssestrengene]] in Norway.{{Sfn|Goudie|2020|p=60}} Development of the areas around falls as tourist attractions has also destroyed the natural scene around many of them.<ref name=":2" />

Waterfalls are included on thirty-eight [[World Heritage Site]]s{{Sfn|Goudie|2020|p=59}} and many others are protected by governments.{{Sfn|Hudson|2013b|p=361}}

=== In culture ===
[[File:Taki-gyo 8118084.jpg|thumb|right|A man practicing ''[[sādhanā]]'' in Japan]]
Waterfalls play a role in many cultures, as religious sites and subjects of art and music.{{Sfn|Goudie|2020|p=59}}{{Sfn|Hudson|2013b|p=361}}

Many artists have painted waterfalls and they are referenced in many songs, such as those of the [[Kaluli people]] in [[Papua New Guinea]]. [[Michael Harner]] titled his study of the [[Jivaroan peoples]] of Ecuador ''The Jivaro: People of the Sacred Waterfalls.{{Sfn|Hudson|2013b|p=361}}'' Artists such as those of the [[Hudson River School]] and [[J. M. W. Turner]] and [[John Sell Cotman]] painted particularly notable pictures of waterfalls in the 19th century.{{Sfn|Hudson|2013b|p=363}}

One of the versions of the [[Shinto]] purification ceremony of [[misogi]] involves standing underneath a waterfall in ritual clothing.<ref name="picken">{{cite book |last=Picken |first=Stuart D. B |author-link=Stuart D. B. Picken |date=2011 |title=Historical Dictionary of Shinto Second edition|publisher=Scarecrow Press |pages=195–196 |isbn=978-0-8108-7172-4}}</ref> In Japan the [[Nachi Falls]] are a site of pilgrimage, as are falls near [[Tirupati]], India, and the [[Saut-d'Eau]], Haiti.{{Sfn|Hudson|2013b|p=361}} The [[Otavalos]] use Piguchi waterfall as part of the Churru ritual which serves as a coming of age ceremony.<ref name=Sarmiento>{{cite book|last1= Sarmiento|first1= F.O.|title= Mountain Ice and Water – Investigations of the Hydrologic Cycle in Alpine Environments|chapter= Neotropical Mountains Beyond Water Supply|chapter-url= https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780444637871000081|series= Developments in Earth Surface Processes|year= 2016|volume= 21|pages= 309–324|doi= 10.1016/B978-0-444-63787-1.00008-1|isbn= 978-0-444-63787-1|access-date= 26 August 2021|archive-date= 26 August 2021|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210826193525/https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780444637871000081|url-status= live}}</ref> Many waterfalls in Africa were places of worship for the native peoples and got their names from gods in the local religion.<ref name=":4" />

"In [[China|Chinese]] tradition, the waterfall represents" the season of [[autumn]], [[Yin and yang|yin]], and the [[Chinese dragon]]'s power over water that comes from the former two.<ref name=":32">{{Cite book |last1=Carlson |first1=Kathie |title=The Book of Symbols: Reflections on Archetypal Images |last2=Flanagin |first2=Michael N. |last3=Martin |first3=Kathleen |last4=Martin |first4=Mary E. |last5=Mendelsohn |first5=John |last6=Rodgers |first6=Priscilla Young |last7=Ronnberg |first7=Ami |last8=Salman |first8=Sherry |last9=Wesley |first9=Deborah A. |publisher=[[Taschen]] |year=2010 |isbn=978-3-8365-1448-4 |editor-last=Arm |editor-first=Karen |location=Köln |page=48 |editor-last2=Ueda |editor-first2=Kako |editor-last3=Thulin |editor-first3=Anne |editor-last4=Langerak |editor-first4=Allison |editor-last5=Kiley |editor-first5=Timothy Gus |editor-last6=Wolff |editor-first6=Mary}}</ref>