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Fall line

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The slope of rivers crossing fall zones affected settlement patterns. For example, the fall line represents the inland limit of navigation of many rivers. As such, many cities along a fall line grew as a result of demand for transferring people and goods between land-based and water-based
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are built. The rapid change of elevation of the water and resulting energy release make the fall line a good location for
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with a ready supply of water power, people have long made settlements where rivers cross a fall line.
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The fall line marks the geologic boundary of hard metamorphosed terrain—- the product of the
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This article is about the concept in geomorphology. For fall line as a gradient, see
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falls across a series of rapids down to the tidal estuary of the James River.
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Seaweeds of the southeastern United States: Cape Hatteras to Cape Canaveral
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Before navigation improvements such as locks, the fall line was often the
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meet and is noticeable especially where rivers cross it, with resulting
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Freitag, Bob; Susan Bolton; Frank Westerlund; Julie Clark (2009).
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lack such noticeable feature because they cross the scarp through
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In the USA, Mid-Atlantic and Southern fall line cities include:
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deal primarily with the United States and do not represent a
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of rivers due to rapids and waterfalls, such as the
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Floodplain Management: A New Approach for a New Era
677:run over the unrelated Eardley Escarpment of the 1115: 745:Schneider, Craig W.; Richard B. Searles (1991). 907:"A Summary of the Geologic History of Delaware" 1033: 1031: 1029: 1006: 1004: 1002: 880: 127:The examples and perspective in this section 1026: 999: 548:forms a long scarp line where it meets the 38:) is the area where an upland region and a 952: 950: 948: 946: 876: 874: 872: 870: 868: 866: 864: 174:North American Atlantic Seaboard Fall Line 145:, or create a new section, as appropriate. 16:Meeting point of uplands and coastal plain 979: 977: 975: 795: 793: 791: 664:Carillon hydroelectric generating station 161:Learn how and when to remove this message 881:Dunkerly, Robert; Boland, Irene (2017). 738: 631:Chutes Émery and Chute du Moulin Coutu ( 97: 943: 861: 751:. Duke University Press. pp. 5–7. 1116: 972: 840:. Anmol Publications. pp. 92–93. 833: 788: 827: 777: 775: 837:Encyclopaedia of Political Geography 721:Geologic map of Georgia (U.S. state) 312:links many of the fall line cities. 113: 13: 772: 711:rather than the Laurentian Scarp. 235:, is a 1,400-kilometre (900-mile) 50:. The uplands are relatively hard 14: 1135: 1057: 550:Great Lakes–St. Lawrence Lowlands 1101: 1089: 909:. The Delaware Geological Survey 118: 662:Long Sault, now flooded by the 102:Diagram showing the Fall Line. 1014:. The New Georgia Encyclopedia 921: 899: 422:Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina 289:, is similar as well with the 111:transportation at that place. 1: 931:. Maryland Geological Society 731: 806:. Island Press. p. 77. 449:Fayetteville, North Carolina 93: 7: 714: 431:Rocky Mount, North Carolina 229:Atlantic Seaboard Fall Line 217:GPX (secondary coordinates) 180:Atlantic Seaboard Fall Line 141:, discuss the issue on the 10: 1140: 958:"Geology of the Fall Line" 579:Rivière du Sault à la Puce 338:Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 177: 25:Fall line (disambiguation) 18: 1041:. Encyclopedia of Alabama 565:River Sainte-Anne-du-Nord 539: 212:GPX (primary coordinates) 187:Map all coordinates using 52:crystalline basement rock 679:Ottawa-Bonnechere Graben 467:Columbia, South Carolina 382:Fredericksburg, Virginia 287:Columbia, South Carolina 195:Download coordinates as: 1072:Encyclopædia Britannica 834:Shamsi, Nayyar (2006). 570:Chaudron à Gaudreault ( 440:Raleigh, North Carolina 1075:(11th ed.). 1911. 726:Spring line settlement 485:Milledgeville, Georgia 458:Camden, South Carolina 418:Weldon, North Carolina 245:Atlantic Coastal Plain 107: 23:. For other uses, see 21:Fall line (topography) 689:River Jacques-Cartier 640:River de L'Assomption 617:Sainte-Ursule Falls ( 207:GPX (all coordinates) 101: 709:Saint Lawrence river 409:Petersburg, Virginia 347:Wilmington, Delaware 320:Paterson, New Jersey 247:meet in the eastern 139:improve this section 693:River Saint-Maurice 605:River Saint-Charles 534:Black Warrior River 530:Tuscaloosa, Alabama 507:Chattahoochee River 356:Baltimore, Maryland 329:Trenton, New Jersey 929:"Maryland Geology" 572:Rivière aux Chiens 561:Canyon Sainte-Anne 512:Tallassee, Alabama 400:Richmond, Virginia 386:Rappahannock River 298:head of navigation 279:Richmond, Virginia 277:and the rapids in 108: 88:head of navigation 1066:"Fall-line"  960:. Virginia Places 847:978-81-261-2406-0 813:978-1-59726-635-2 758:978-0-8223-1101-0 703:) are due to the 638:Les sept chutes ( 612:River Sainte-Anne 595:River Montmorency 591:Montmorency Falls 546:Laurentian Upland 521:Wetumpka, Alabama 503:Columbus, Georgia 391:Hanover, Virginia 171: 170: 163: 1131: 1106: 1105: 1104: 1094: 1093: 1085: 1076: 1068: 1051: 1050: 1048: 1046: 1035: 1024: 1023: 1021: 1019: 1008: 997: 996: 994: 992: 981: 970: 969: 967: 965: 954: 941: 940: 938: 936: 925: 919: 918: 916: 914: 903: 897: 896: 878: 859: 858: 856: 854: 831: 825: 824: 822: 820: 797: 786: 785: 779: 770: 769: 767: 765: 742: 705:fluvial terraces 697:U-shaped valleys 624:Chute à Magnan ( 619:River Maskinongé 601:Kabir Kouba Fall 557:Saint Anne Falls 516:Tallapoosa River 476:Augusta, Georgia 413:Appomattox River 395:North Anna River 373:Washington, D.C. 351:Brandywine Creek 342:Schuylkill River 166: 159: 155: 152: 146: 122: 121: 114: 60:sedimentary rock 1139: 1138: 1134: 1133: 1132: 1130: 1129: 1128: 1114: 1113: 1112: 1102: 1100: 1088: 1080: 1063: 1060: 1055: 1054: 1044: 1042: 1037: 1036: 1027: 1017: 1015: 1010: 1009: 1000: 990: 988: 983: 982: 973: 963: 961: 956: 955: 944: 934: 932: 927: 926: 922: 912: 910: 905: 904: 900: 893: 879: 862: 852: 850: 848: 832: 828: 818: 816: 814: 798: 789: 781: 780: 773: 763: 761: 759: 743: 739: 734: 717: 675:Chaudière Falls 657:Rivière du Nord 633:Rivière Bayonne 626:Rivière du Loup 577:Unnamed falls ( 542: 453:Cape Fear River 364:Gunpowder Falls 260:Taconic orogeny 225: 224: 223: 222: 221: 182: 176: 167: 156: 150: 147: 136: 123: 119: 96: 28: 17: 12: 11: 5: 1137: 1127: 1126: 1111: 1110: 1108:Earth sciences 1098: 1078: 1077: 1059: 1058:External links 1056: 1053: 1052: 1025: 998: 971: 942: 920: 898: 891: 860: 846: 826: 812: 787: 771: 757: 736: 735: 733: 730: 729: 728: 723: 716: 713: 685: 684: 683: 682: 660: 655:Wilson Falls ( 653: 643: 636: 629: 622: 615: 608: 598: 588: 584:Canyon of the 582: 575: 568: 541: 538: 537: 536: 527: 518: 509: 500: 498:Ocmulgee River 494:Macon, Georgia 491: 482: 480:Savannah River 473: 471:Congaree River 464: 455: 446: 437: 428: 415: 406: 397: 388: 379: 370: 353: 344: 335: 333:Delaware River 326: 291:Congaree River 220: 219: 214: 209: 204: 198: 185: 184: 183: 178:Main article: 175: 172: 169: 168: 133:of the subject 131:worldwide view 126: 124: 117: 95: 92: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1136: 1125: 1124:Geomorphology 1122: 1121: 1119: 1109: 1099: 1097: 1092: 1087: 1086: 1083: 1074: 1073: 1067: 1062: 1061: 1040: 1034: 1032: 1030: 1013: 1007: 1005: 1003: 986: 980: 978: 976: 959: 953: 951: 949: 947: 930: 924: 908: 902: 894: 892:9781611177589 888: 884: 883:Eutaw Springs 877: 875: 873: 871: 869: 867: 865: 849: 843: 839: 838: 830: 815: 809: 805: 804: 796: 794: 792: 784: 778: 776: 760: 754: 750: 749: 741: 737: 727: 724: 722: 719: 718: 712: 710: 706: 702: 698: 694: 690: 680: 676: 672: 671: 669: 665: 661: 658: 654: 651: 650:River Ouareau 647: 644: 641: 637: 634: 630: 627: 623: 620: 616: 613: 609: 606: 602: 599: 596: 592: 589: 587: 583: 580: 576: 573: 569: 566: 562: 558: 555: 554: 553: 551: 547: 535: 531: 528: 526: 522: 519: 517: 513: 510: 508: 504: 501: 499: 495: 492: 490: 486: 483: 481: 477: 474: 472: 468: 465: 463: 462:Wateree River 459: 456: 454: 450: 447: 445: 441: 438: 436: 432: 429: 427: 426:Roanoke River 423: 419: 416: 414: 410: 407: 405: 401: 398: 396: 392: 389: 387: 383: 380: 378: 377:Potomac River 374: 371: 369: 365: 361: 357: 354: 352: 348: 345: 343: 339: 336: 334: 330: 327: 325: 324:Passaic River 321: 318: 317: 316: 313: 311: 307: 306:Potomac River 303: 299: 294: 292: 288: 284: 280: 276: 272: 269: 265: 261: 256: 254: 250: 249:United States 246: 242: 238: 234: 230: 218: 215: 213: 210: 208: 205: 203: 200: 199: 197: 196: 191: 190:OpenStreetMap 188: 181: 165: 162: 154: 151:November 2016 144: 140: 134: 132: 125: 116: 115: 112: 105: 100: 91: 89: 86:. Seeking a 85: 81: 77: 73: 69: 65: 61: 57: 56:coastal plain 53: 49: 45: 41: 40:coastal plain 37: 33: 26: 22: 1070: 1043:. Retrieved 1016:. Retrieved 989:. Retrieved 962:. Retrieved 933:. Retrieved 923: 911:. Retrieved 901: 882: 851:. Retrieved 836: 829: 817:. Retrieved 802: 762:. Retrieved 747: 740: 686: 668:Ottawa River 646:Dorwin Falls 610:Chute Ford ( 586:River Cazeau 543: 489:Oconee River 368:Gwynns Falls 314: 310:U.S. Route 1 302:Little Falls 295: 281:, where the 275:Little Falls 257: 255:is present. 232: 228: 226: 194: 193: 186: 157: 148: 128: 109: 35: 31: 29: 1039:"Fall Line" 1012:"Fall Line" 985:"Fall Line" 853:17 November 819:17 November 764:17 November 701:Quebec City 525:Coosa River 444:Neuse River 404:James River 360:Jones Falls 283:James River 80:grist mills 76:water mills 1045:25 January 1018:17 October 991:25 January 964:25 January 935:25 January 913:25 January 732:References 264:Cretaceous 239:where the 237:escarpment 58:is softer 54:, and the 48:waterfalls 987:. 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Index

Fall line (topography)
Fall line (disambiguation)
coastal plain
rapids
waterfalls
crystalline basement rock
coastal plain
sedimentary rock
shoals
portaging
locks
water mills
grist mills
sawmills
head of navigation

USGS
worldwide view
improve this section
talk page
Learn how and when to remove this message
Atlantic Seaboard Fall Line
OpenStreetMap
KML
GPX (all coordinates)
GPX (primary coordinates)
GPX (secondary coordinates)
escarpment
Piedmont
Atlantic Coastal Plain

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