Wet and Dry, Fire and Ice:
Visiting Seven of America’s Natural Wonders
VOICE ONE: The first stop is a natural wonder that the United States shares with Canada.
That thundering crash is the tens of thousands of cubic feet
of water that flow each second over Niagara Falls which
includes the American Falls and Horseshoe Falls. The
American Falls in New York State extends more than three
hundred twenty meters across part of the Niagara River. The
American Falls is more than fifty meters high.
Canada owns the larger Horseshoe Falls. It is about eight hundred meters wide and almost fifty
meters high. It is shaped like the letter U, or a horse’s shoe.
VOICE TWO: Niagara Falls formed about twelve thousand years ago when huge melting sheets of
ice formed the Great Lakes. The land was uneven with several drops in level, some very sharp.
Water from Lake Erie began to flow north to Lake Ontario as a result of the loss of the ice barrier.
In modern times, several people have gone over Niagara Falls, most of them on purpose. Most
also survived. But, we think the beauty and power of Niagara Falls is best experienced from near
the water, not in it.
Now we travel southeast to the state of Florida. We will visit the area once called “the liquid heart”
of that state -- the Everglades.
Wet and Dry, Fire and Ice:
Visiting Seven of America’s Natural
Wonders
VOICE ONE: The first stop is a natural wonder
that the United States shares with Canada.
That thundering crash is the tens of thousands
of cubic feet of water that flow each second
over Niagara Falls which includes the American
Falls and Horseshoe Falls. The American Falls
in New York State extends more than three
hundred twenty meters across part of the
Niagara River. The American Falls is more than
fifty meters high.
Canada owns the larger Horseshoe Falls. It is
about eight hundred meters wide and almost
fifty meters high. It is shaped like the letter U,
or a horse’s shoe.
VOICE TWO: Niagara Falls formed about
twelve thousand years ago when huge melting
sheets of ice formed the Great Lakes. The land
was uneven with several drops in level, some
very sharp. Water from Lake Erie began to flow
north to Lake Ontario as a result of the loss of
the ice barrier.
In modern times, several people have gone
over Niagara Falls, most of them on purpose.
Most also survived. But, we think the beauty
and power of Niagara Falls is best experienced
from near the water, not in it.
Now we travel southeast to the state of Florida.
We will visit the area once called “the liquid
heart” of that state -- the Everglades..
