Which is the Largest Waterfall in the Solar System?

Waterfalls are some of the most amazing sights on our planet. They form when a river flows over a ledge of hard rock and onto softer rock below.

Over time, the water erodes the soft rock, creating a steep drop. We have some giants on Earth. Angel Falls in Venezuela is the tallest, reaching nearly 1,000 metres high.

But did you know there is a waterfall much larger than any of these? It isn't even on Earth. This ancient wonder is located on a dusty, red planet.

Its cliffs are four kilometres high, four times taller than any waterfall we have here. In this article, we will explore the remarkable history of this Martian giant.

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What Is The Largest Waterfall In The Solar System?

Echus Chasma on Mars was the biggest waterfall in the solar system#ThePlanets pic.twitter.com/wBVABUyqJF

— BBC Earth (@BBCEarth) June 4, 2019

The largest waterfall in the Solar System is on Mars, in a huge canyon known as Echus Chasma.

While it is dry today, billions of years ago it was a scene of intense chaos. This ancient waterfall formed when huge floods from the southern highlands rushed north, cascading over massive cliffs to reach the valley floor below.

What makes this waterfall the "largest" is its incredible size. The cliffs at Echus Chasma rise about 4 kilometres (13,000 feet) high.

To put that in perspective, it is four times taller than Angel Falls, the tallest waterfall on land in the world.

The "lip", or width, of this waterfall spanned an impressive 10 kilometres. The water that rushed over it helped shape the Kasei Valles, a channel system that runs for more than 3,000 kilometres.

Scientists believe the amount of water was large enough to create an inland sea. This event was a planetary-scale spectacle that dwarfs anything seen on Earth.

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10+ Lesser-Known Facts About Echus Chasma

• It is located north of Valles Marineris, the largest canyon system in the Solar System.
• At 4 km high, it is taller than most mountains on Earth.
• The waterfall's edge was roughly 10 km wide, nearly 10 times wider than Niagara Falls.
• The valley floor is remarkably smooth because it was later covered by basaltic lava flows.
• The waterfall was active approximately 3.8 billion years ago.
• It served as one of the largest water source regions on ancient Mars.
• Clays found in the chasma suggest water sat there for a long time, making it a key spot to look for past microbial life.
• The force of the water was so strong that it carved deep grooves into the rock that are still visible today.
• Because Mars has lower gravity, the water would have fallen slower than on Earth but with massive volume.
• Much of what we know comes from the Mars Express spacecraft and NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
• Scientists estimate the water volume was 10 times greater than that of the Great Lakes on Earth.

What is the Difference Between Echus Chasma, Victoria Falls and Angel Falls?

To really get a sense of how big Echus Chasma is, it’s useful to compare it to some of the biggest waterfalls on Earth. While Earth's waterfalls are lively and full of life, the Martian "Ghost Waterfall" is larger in size.

Why Did It Sisappear?

Mars was not always a frozen desert. Billions of years ago, it had a thicker atmosphere and liquid water on its surface. However, as the planet lost its internal heat, its magnetic field weakened. 

This allowed solar winds to remove the atmosphere. Without atmospheric pressure, the water either froze underground or evaporated into space. This left the massive "falls" of Echus Chasma silent forever.

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