Hidden giant: Denmark Strait hosts world's tallest waterfall

Located between Iceland and Greenland, the Denmark Strait houses the largest waterfall on Earth. This underwater marvel, known as the Denmark Strait cataract, exceeds the height of the aforementioned Angel Falls in Venezuela. The water in this underwater record-holder plunges to a depth of 11,500 feet.

The Denmark Strait cataract has a height of approximately 6,560 feet, making it twice as tall as the Venezuelan giant. This waterfall spans a width of 298 miles, and its waters flow at a speed of 1.6 feet per second (nearly 1.2 mph), much slower than other waterfalls, such as Niagara.

The cataract's formation dates back to the last ice age, between 17,500 and 11,500 years ago. This waterfall plays a crucial role in ocean circulation, transporting polar waters from the Greenland Sea, Norwegian Sea, and Icelandic Sea to the Irminger Basin.

Despite its impressive size, the Denmark Strait cataract is invisible from the surface and cannot be detected from space. As Anna Sanchez Vidal from the University of Barcelona, cited by the Live Science portal, explains, the waterfall can only be detected using temperature and salinity mapping.

Experts explain that the waters north of the cataract cascade down the slope. The upper part of the waterfall is on the surface and mixes with the water flowing north through the strait. At the same time, the lower half moves south along the seabed from Antarctica, entering a loop of ocean currents known as thermohaline circulation.

Although there are other underwater waterfalls, none are as large as the Denmark Strait cataract. Mike Clare from the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton points out that similar formations occur on continental margins but are considerably smaller.