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Health & Science4h 0m ago

The Denmark Strait cataract drops about 11,500 feet, down a slope on the ocean floor.

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Denmark Strait between Iceland and Greenland

Who
oceanographers, Mike Clare, Anna Sanchez Vidal
What
The Denmark Strait cataract drops about 11,500 feet, down a slope on the ocean floor.
When
Fri, 12 Jun 2026 23:00:54 GMT · 4h 0m ago
Where
Denmark Strait between Iceland and Greenland ·
Why
Frigid water from the Nordic Seas meets warmer water from the Irminger Sea, and because the cold mass is denser, it slides underneath and spills down the sloping seabed.
The Frontline Impact

How this affects you

This underwater waterfall is the largest on Earth, moving about 3.5 million cubic meters of water per second across a 300-mile-wide sill, shaping the circulation of the entire Atlantic.

Story chain

3 events in this thread
  1. Health & Science4h 0m ago
    The Denmark Strait cataract, Earth's tallest waterfall, sits unseen on the seafloor between Iceland and Greenland, where dense cold water plunges about 3,500 meters down a slope.
    Open article
  2. Currently Reading4h 0m ago
    The Denmark Strait cataract drops about 11,500 feet, down a slope on the ocean floor.
  3. Health & Science4h 0m ago
    The tallest waterfall on Earth sits unseen on the seafloor between Iceland and Greenland, with no spray and no audible roar.
    Open article

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