This photo was taken with a Canon G5 digital camera with normal "Auto" settings, and has not been enhanced in any way. I believe that it fairly represents the color we observed with our eyes.
Tamolitch Falls should be called "Invisible Falls" or "Upside-Down Falls."
Much of the water in the McKenzie River has been diverted to a reservoir upstream and the waterfall does not flow above ground except in the wettest of times. It then falls 30 feet or so from the ledge at the far side of the pool. (Before the diversion, the falls looked like this.)
However, even with the diversion, a substantial flow travels underground through lava tubes and porous rock and enters the Blue Hole from the bottom. The pool overflows into the McKenzie River channel to the lower left of this picture.
This photo was shown on Earth
Science Picture of the Day for
08-17-2004
