Mardalsfossen

Mardalsfossen is a big waterfall. It is in Norway. The water falls in steps. It has two large drops. It also has small drops. The water flows from a river. It flows into a lake. You can see it in summer. This is from June to August. People use the water for power. This makes the flow small. It is a very tall sight. It is one of the tallest in Europe.

Mardalsfossen is a very tall waterfall. It is in Norway. It sits in Molde Municipality. The falls are on the Mardøla river. This river flows into a lake called Eikesdalsvatnet. The falls are one of the tallest in Europe. They fall in steps. There are two large drops. There are also many small drops. People use the water for power. This is called hydroelectric use. Because of this, the water does not always flow. You can see the falls in the summer. They flow from June 20 to August 20. In 1970, many people protested a new dam. They did not want the waterfall to change. Later, an artist named Antony Gormley made art there. His work was in the mist of the water. The name Mardalsfossen comes from the Mardalen valley. The word foss means waterfall. The river name might come from an old word. That word could mean to dig or to die.

Mardalsfossen is a huge waterfall in Norway. It sits in the Molde Municipality. This place is in Møre og Romsdal county. The falls are part of the Mardøla river. This river flows from a hanging valley. It goes into a lake called Eikesdalsvatnet. The falls are northwest of Eikesdalen village. Some people call it one of the tallest waterfalls in Europe.

The waterfall has a special shape. It is a tiered waterfall. This means it falls in steps. There are two very large drops. You can also see several smaller drops lower down. The falls are wide on average. The highest vertical drop is one of the tallest in Norway. Different groups have different numbers for the height. The SSB says the upper drop is 412 meters. The World Waterfall Database says it is 438 meters.

People use the water to make power. This is called hydroelectric use. The water flows over the falls during the summer. You can see it from June 20 to August 20. At other times, the water goes through a hydroelectric scheme. This means the water is channeled away. The summer flow is now less than 110 cubic meters per second. The highest flow ever recorded was 1,100 cubic meters per second.

This place has a big history. In 1970, many people wanted to protect the falls. Arne Næss helped lead a protest. He was the founder of the Deep Ecology movement. He and 300 others tied themselves together. They did this to protest a new dam. Later, the falls became a place for art. An artist named Antony Gormley showed his work there. His piece was called Another Time. It sat in the mist from the falls.

The name of the falls tells a story. It comes from the Mardalen valley. The name has two parts. The word foss means waterfall. The valley name comes from the river name Mara. Mara is the old name for the Mardøla river. That old name might come from a word meaning to dig or die. The word dal means valley. The falls were once on the coat of arms for Nesset Municipality.

Mardalsfossen is a massive waterfall located in Norway. It sits within the Molde Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county. The falls are part of the Mardøla river. This river flows from a hanging valley into a lake called Eikesdalsvatnet. The site is located northwest of the village of Eikesdalen. Some people describe it as one of the tallest waterfalls in Europe. It is a famous landmark in the Norwegian landscape.

The waterfall follows a tiered structure. A tiered waterfall falls in several distinct steps rather than one single drop. Mardalsfossen consists of two large drops. It also features several smaller drops further down the river. The width of the falls is described as average. However, the width can reach much larger sizes. The highest vertical drop is one of the tallest in Norway.

There are different measurements for the height of the falls. These differences often come from how the height is calculated. The SSB provides specific measurements for the waterfall. The World Waterfall Database (WWD) also provides measurements. The SSB typically includes the head measurement for waterfalls in hydroelectric systems. This can result in a larger height estimate. For the upper vertical drop, the SSB reports a height of 412 meters. The WWD surveyed that same drop at 438 meters.

Human activity has changed how the water flows over the falls. The water is used for hydroelectric use. This means the water is tapped to create electricity. Because of this, the water does not always flow over the cliff. During the summer tourist season, the water flows over the falls. This season runs from June 20 to August 20. At other times, the water is channeled through a hydroelectric scheme. Currently, the summer flow is limited to less than 110 cubic meters per second. This is much lower than the highest recorded flow of 1,100 cubic meters per second.

The history of the falls includes significant social protests. In 1970, a man named Arne Næss led a protest. He was the Norwegian founder of the Deep Ecology movement. He and 300 other people tied themselves together. They did this to protest the building of a dam. They were concerned about the removal of the waterfall. This event shows how people have fought to protect natural sites.

Art has also been connected to the waterfall. Between June 2014 and August 2015, an artist named Antony Gormley held an exhibition. His work was titled Another Time. The piece was displayed within the mist created by the waterfall. This event served as the official start of the Mardalsfossen Art Project. This connection shows how the natural environment can inspire human creativity.

The name of the waterfall provides clues about its history. It comes from the name of the Mardalen valley. The name is a combination of two parts. The word foss is the finite form of a word meaning waterfall. The valley name comes from the old river name, Mara. Mara is the old name for the Mardøla river. The name Mara likely comes from a verb meaning to rub, dig, grave, or die. The word dal means valley. Finally, the waterfall was once depicted on the coat of arms for the old Nesset Municipality.