Trou de Fer
Encyclopedia
The Trou de Fer is a canyon
on Reunion Island, off the coast of Madagascar
in the Indian Ocean
. The primary river flowing through the gorge, which is up to 1000 feet (304.8 m) deep, is the Bras de Caverne River, which is a tributary of the Rivière du Mât
. The canyon has two distinct parts; a large crater, which is fed by six prominent waterfalls, and a narrow slot canyon
at its outlet, which constitutes most of the canyon's length. The Bras de Caverne River's headwaters are in a cirque
high on the mountainside abutting the canyon wall, and directly after that, it drops over a waterfall about 700 feet (213.4 m) high. This drop is usually dry or has very little water, but between that and the next, 600 feet (182.9 m) drop, springs feed the river, which drops over this then drops over a final 1000 feet (304.8 m) undercut cliff into the Trou de Fer in a narrow plume of water.
Directly to the left of this waterfall, another stream drops over the cliff, which is undercut to an extent that its lip has over 700 feet (213.4 m) of empty space between it and the canyon floor, of approximately the same height in two channels, and slams onto a ledge before emptying into the same pool as the Bras de Caverne waterfall. This waterfall is not as high, and has a smaller water flow. It is fed by several other falls streaming off the cliffs above it. Further to the left, at about twice the distance as from the first falls to the second, another large stream plunges into the canyon.
In total, there are at least six waterfalls feeding the canyon. At the base of the canyon, a separate slot canyon
, or "The Narrows", begins. The water from the Bras de Caverne waterfall and the waterfall to its left drain to the slot canyon at a 90-degree angle, through a waterfall known informally as the "Washing Machine". The name stems from the mist it generates, which drenches people who near the base of the falls.
The slot canyon, or "The Corridor", extends for about 2 miles (3.2 km), and is said to be commonly dammed up by debris jams to form lakes, including "Lake of the Eel". The porous volcanic rock composing the walls create many springs, which create countless waterfalls.
Canyon
A canyon or gorge is a deep ravine between cliffs often carved from the landscape by a river. Rivers have a natural tendency to reach a baseline elevation, which is the same elevation as the body of water it will eventually drain into. This forms a canyon. Most canyons were formed by a process of...
on Reunion Island, off the coast of Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
in the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
. The primary river flowing through the gorge, which is up to 1000 feet (304.8 m) deep, is the Bras de Caverne River, which is a tributary of the Rivière du Mât
Rivière du Mât
The Rivière du Mât is a river on the Indian Ocean island of Réunion. It flows northeast from its sources on the slopes of Le Gros Morne and Piton des Neiges, reaching the sea close to the village of Saint-André....
. The canyon has two distinct parts; a large crater, which is fed by six prominent waterfalls, and a narrow slot canyon
Slot canyon
A slot canyon is a narrow canyon, formed by the wear of water rushing through rock. A slot canyon is significantly deeper than it is wide. Some slot canyons can measure less than one metre across at the top but drop more than 30 m to the floor of the canyon.Most slot canyons are formed in...
at its outlet, which constitutes most of the canyon's length. The Bras de Caverne River's headwaters are in a cirque
Cirque
Cirque may refer to:* Cirque, a geological formation* Makhtesh, an erosional landform found in the Negev desert of Israel and Sinai of Egypt*Cirque , an album by Biosphere* Cirque Corporation, a company that makes touchpads...
high on the mountainside abutting the canyon wall, and directly after that, it drops over a waterfall about 700 feet (213.4 m) high. This drop is usually dry or has very little water, but between that and the next, 600 feet (182.9 m) drop, springs feed the river, which drops over this then drops over a final 1000 feet (304.8 m) undercut cliff into the Trou de Fer in a narrow plume of water.
Directly to the left of this waterfall, another stream drops over the cliff, which is undercut to an extent that its lip has over 700 feet (213.4 m) of empty space between it and the canyon floor, of approximately the same height in two channels, and slams onto a ledge before emptying into the same pool as the Bras de Caverne waterfall. This waterfall is not as high, and has a smaller water flow. It is fed by several other falls streaming off the cliffs above it. Further to the left, at about twice the distance as from the first falls to the second, another large stream plunges into the canyon.
In total, there are at least six waterfalls feeding the canyon. At the base of the canyon, a separate slot canyon
Slot canyon
A slot canyon is a narrow canyon, formed by the wear of water rushing through rock. A slot canyon is significantly deeper than it is wide. Some slot canyons can measure less than one metre across at the top but drop more than 30 m to the floor of the canyon.Most slot canyons are formed in...
, or "The Narrows", begins. The water from the Bras de Caverne waterfall and the waterfall to its left drain to the slot canyon at a 90-degree angle, through a waterfall known informally as the "Washing Machine". The name stems from the mist it generates, which drenches people who near the base of the falls.
The slot canyon, or "The Corridor", extends for about 2 miles (3.2 km), and is said to be commonly dammed up by debris jams to form lakes, including "Lake of the Eel". The porous volcanic rock composing the walls create many springs, which create countless waterfalls.