Ice Age history of the Niagara River and Whirlpool Rapids

Niagara River, including the entire Great Lakes region, where the river is an integral part of the assets of glaciation. 18,000 years ago in southern Ontario was covered by ice sheets 2-3 kilometers thick. When they advanced to the south, glaciers have carved the Great Lakes Basin. Then, when you blend in the north for the last time they released vast quantities of melt water in these river basins. Our water is “fossil water”, less than one percent is renewable every year, the remaining balance of the glaciers.

The Niagara Peninsula became free of ice around 12,500 years ago. When the ice retreated northward, its meltwaters began to flow down through what became Lake Erie, the Niagara River and Lake Ontario along the St. Lawrence River and finally to the Wed There were originally five overflow from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. Finally, these were reduced to one, the original Niagara Falls, at Queenston-Lewiston. Falls began its steady erosion through the bedrock.

However, about 10,500 years for a set of geological effects including alternating retreats and re-advances of the ice, and the rebound of the land once freed from the intense pressure of the ice (isostatic rebound), the process was interrupted. The glacial meltwater was rerouted through northern Ontario, bordering the south. For 5000 years Lake Erie remained only half the size of today, the Niagara River was reduced to about 10% of its current, and much less stopped falling in the area of ??Glen Falls.

Approximately 5500 years, melt water were defeated again in southern Ontario, restoring the river and the falls at full power. Then came the Niagara Whirlpool.

It was a brief and violent encounter, a moment, geological lasting only weeks, maybe a few days. At this time, the Falls of Niagara River cross a riverbed old girl who had been buried and sealed during the last glaciation. Falls the gorge became buried the remains of glaciers started to be filled, and scraped the old river bottom clean. Probably was not a tomb at any time, but a flurry Rapids. When it was over he left behind a 90-degree turn in the river we know today as the hot tub, and more mass in the waves of the North American position is now known as the Whirlpool Rapids.

Falls, and then restored to near the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge at the top right, and resumed his way through solid rock sculpture to its present location.