'3,500 meters deep': World’s biggest waterfall is hidden underwater between Greenland and Iceland

The World’s Largest Waterfall Is Hidden Underwater

You won’t see it on land or even from space. The Denmark Strait cataract, found between Greenland and Iceland, is the largest waterfall on Earth, and it’s completely underwater.

Bigger Than Any Land Waterfall

This underwater giant drops over 11,500 feet (3,500 meters). That’s three times taller than Angel Falls, the world’s tallest waterfall on land. however you won’t spot it with your eyes it’s deep below the surface.

How Does It Work Underwater?

Unlike roaring land waterfalls, this one flows slowly just 1.6 feet per second. However, it’s still incredibly powerful. The waterfall moves cold, dense water from the north down into the deeper Atlantic Ocean.

It’s 300 Miles Wide!

Yes, you read that right. The Denmark Strait cataract is about 480 km wide. It silently flows across a huge slope in the ocean floor, stretching nearly 600 km.

Born from the Ice Age

This underwater marvel was shaped by glaciers during the last Ice Age, between 17,500 and 11,500 years ago. Today, cold waters from the Greenland and Iceland Seas plunge into the Irminger Sea, helping power ocean currents.

A Hidden Engine of Earth’s Climate

The cataract feeds into the thermohaline circulation, also known as the ocean’s “global conveyor belt.” This system helps regulate Earth’s climate by moving warm and cold water across the globe.

You Can’t See It; However, It Shapes Our World

At the surface, it just looks like calm Arctic ocean. But deep below, Earth’s largest waterfall is at work shaping oceans, driving currents, and stabilising climate worldwide.