Reverse Waterfall: Rare Phenomenon Due to Lack of Gravity or Strong Wind?

Reverse Waterfall: Rare Phenomenon Due to Lack of Gravity or Strong Wind?
(Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Mike Pennington)

Reverse waterfalls have been spotted in different places worldwide. There are rumors that the falls behave that way due to lack of gravity, but experts say it's due to high winds.

What's A Reverse Waterfall

In January 2023, a photographer captured drone footage of a rare natural phenomenon in southwest Utah: a reverse waterfall. As the name suggests, the waterfall behaves unusually. Instead of falling down, the water sprays back up the cliff, looking like it is flowing upstream instead of downstream.

Photographer RJ Hooper observed the phenomenon about 50 miles west of Zion National Park. In a Facebook post, he said the sight was "the most incredible day for such unique conditions." He added that he had only seen such a sight a couple of times in the last 20 years. He added that his drone struggled against the 60-mile-per-hour wind over the cliff edge.

Another reverse waterfall was discovered in India. The rare sight was seen in Naneghat in Maharashtra.

Naneghat is located in Maharashtra's Western Ghats, close to Junnar in Pune and about three hours from Mumbai. Tourists flock to the place because of the reverse waterfall, which flows in the opposite direction instead of flowing down from the mysterious mountains.

It's interesting to note that the trekking route was once used for trade, possibly back in Chhatrapati Shivaji's time. This location boasts historic caves and rock-cut pots that narrate stories of centuries past. When viewed from the top, Naneghat resembles a heaven on earth, according to almost every visitor.

Another stunning reverse waterfall was spotted in Sydney, Australia. The sight received mixed responses from the netizens, with some joking that it was proof the country was "upside down."

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Why Water Flows Upstream in Reverse Waterfalls?

According to various rumors, the incident has nothing to do with gravity or the lack thereof. All cases of reverse waterfalls happened due to extreme winds.

According to meteorologists, in Australia, the high winds coming off the ocean hit the cliff and forced the water back up.

The Royal National Park reported wind gusts of up to 74 km/hr (46 mph). Wild storms and torrential rains have battered Sydney and the south coast of New South Wales, and the weather has resulted in such a spectacular phenomenon, which only happens a few times a year.

The same explanation was reportedly behind the reverse waterfall in Utah. The strong winds blowing around 60 miles per hour forced the waterfall to spray back up the cliff.

A strong force of winds was also behind the reverse waterfall in India. It pushes the gushing water back up, making it appear to flow in another direction.

Aside from the reverse waterfall, a rare sight can be seen in Mauritius -- a waterfall underwater. The breathtaking sight is an optical illusion. The sand and silt sediments flow due to strong underwater currents resulting in the impression that they were sucked into a large sewer.