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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
688:run over the unrelated Eardley Escarpment of the 1126: 756:Schneider, Craig W.; Richard B. Searles (1991). 918:"A Summary of the Geologic History of Delaware" 1044: 1042: 1040: 1017: 1015: 1013: 891: 138:The examples and perspective in this section 1037: 1010: 559:forms a long scarp line where it meets the 49:) is the area where an upland region and a 963: 961: 959: 957: 887: 885: 883: 881: 879: 877: 875: 185:North American Atlantic Seaboard Fall Line 156:, or create a new section, as appropriate. 27:Meeting point of uplands and coastal plain 990: 988: 986: 806: 804: 802: 675:Carillon hydroelectric generating station 172:Learn how and when to remove this message 892:Dunkerly, Robert; Boland, Irene (2017). 749: 642:Chutes Émery and Chute du Moulin Coutu ( 108: 954: 872: 762:. Duke University Press. pp. 5–7. 14: 1127: 983: 851:. Anmol Publications. pp. 92–93. 844: 799: 838: 788: 786: 848:Encyclopaedia of Political Geography 732:Geologic map of Georgia (U.S. state) 323:links many of the fall line cities. 124: 24: 783: 722:rather than the Laurentian Scarp. 246:, is a 1,400-kilometre (900-mile) 61:. The uplands are relatively hard 25: 1146: 1068: 561:Great Lakes–St. Lawrence Lowlands 1112: 1100: 920:. The Delaware Geological Survey 129: 673:Long Sault, now flooded by the 113:Diagram showing the Fall Line. 1025:. The New Georgia Encyclopedia 932: 910: 433:Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina 300:, is similar as well with the 122:transportation at that place. 13: 1: 942:. Maryland Geological Society 742: 817:. Island Press. p. 77. 460:Fayetteville, North Carolina 104: 7: 725: 442:Rocky Mount, North Carolina 240:Atlantic Seaboard Fall Line 228:GPX (secondary coordinates) 191:Atlantic Seaboard Fall Line 152:, discuss the issue on the 10: 1151: 969:"Geology of the Fall Line" 590:Rivière du Sault à la Puce 349:Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 188: 36:Fall line (disambiguation) 29: 1052:. Encyclopedia of Alabama 576:River Sainte-Anne-du-Nord 550: 223:GPX (primary coordinates) 198:Map all coordinates using 63:crystalline basement rock 690:Ottawa-Bonnechere Graben 478:Columbia, South Carolina 393:Fredericksburg, Virginia 298:Columbia, South Carolina 206:Download coordinates as: 1083:Encyclopædia Britannica 845:Shamsi, Nayyar (2006). 581:Chaudron à Gaudreault ( 451:Raleigh, North Carolina 1086:(11th ed.). 1911. 737:Spring line settlement 496:Milledgeville, Georgia 469:Camden, South Carolina 429:Weldon, North Carolina 256:Atlantic Coastal Plain 118: 34:. For other uses, see 32:Fall line (topography) 700:River Jacques-Cartier 651:River de L'Assomption 628:Sainte-Ursule Falls ( 218:GPX (all coordinates) 112: 720:Saint Lawrence river 420:Petersburg, Virginia 358:Wilmington, Delaware 331:Paterson, New Jersey 258:meet in the eastern 150:improve this section 704:River Saint-Maurice 616:River Saint-Charles 545:Black Warrior River 541:Tuscaloosa, Alabama 518:Chattahoochee River 367:Baltimore, Maryland 340:Trenton, New Jersey 940:"Maryland Geology" 583:Rivière aux Chiens 572:Canyon Sainte-Anne 523:Tallassee, Alabama 411:Richmond, Virginia 397:Rappahannock River 309:head of navigation 290:Richmond, Virginia 288:and the rapids in 119: 99:head of navigation 1077:"Fall-line"  971:. Virginia Places 858:978-81-261-2406-0 824:978-1-59726-635-2 769:978-0-8223-1101-0 714:) are due to the 649:Les sept chutes ( 623:River Sainte-Anne 606:River Montmorency 602:Montmorency Falls 557:Laurentian Upland 532:Wetumpka, Alabama 514:Columbus, Georgia 402:Hanover, Virginia 182: 181: 174: 16:(Redirected from 1142: 1117: 1116: 1115: 1105: 1104: 1096: 1087: 1079: 1062: 1061: 1059: 1057: 1046: 1035: 1034: 1032: 1030: 1019: 1008: 1007: 1005: 1003: 992: 981: 980: 978: 976: 965: 952: 951: 949: 947: 936: 930: 929: 927: 925: 914: 908: 907: 889: 870: 869: 867: 865: 842: 836: 835: 833: 831: 808: 797: 796: 790: 781: 780: 778: 776: 753: 716:fluvial terraces 708:U-shaped valleys 635:Chute à Magnan ( 630:River Maskinongé 612:Kabir Kouba Fall 568:Saint Anne Falls 527:Tallapoosa River 487:Augusta, Georgia 424:Appomattox River 406:North Anna River 384:Washington, D.C. 362:Brandywine Creek 353:Schuylkill River 177: 170: 166: 163: 157: 133: 132: 125: 71:sedimentary rock 21: 1150: 1149: 1145: 1144: 1143: 1141: 1140: 1139: 1125: 1124: 1123: 1113: 1111: 1099: 1091: 1074: 1071: 1066: 1065: 1055: 1053: 1048: 1047: 1038: 1028: 1026: 1021: 1020: 1011: 1001: 999: 994: 993: 984: 974: 972: 967: 966: 955: 945: 943: 938: 937: 933: 923: 921: 916: 915: 911: 904: 890: 873: 863: 861: 859: 843: 839: 829: 827: 825: 809: 800: 792: 791: 784: 774: 772: 770: 754: 750: 745: 728: 686:Chaudière Falls 668:Rivière du Nord 644:Rivière Bayonne 637:Rivière du Loup 588:Unnamed falls ( 553: 464:Cape Fear River 375:Gunpowder Falls 271:Taconic orogeny 236: 235: 234: 233: 232: 193: 187: 178: 167: 161: 158: 147: 134: 130: 107: 39: 28: 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 1148: 1138: 1137: 1122: 1121: 1119:Earth sciences 1109: 1089: 1088: 1070: 1069:External links 1067: 1064: 1063: 1036: 1009: 982: 953: 931: 909: 902: 871: 857: 837: 823: 798: 782: 768: 747: 746: 744: 741: 740: 739: 734: 727: 724: 696: 695: 694: 693: 671: 666:Wilson Falls ( 664: 654: 647: 640: 633: 626: 619: 609: 599: 595:Canyon of the 593: 586: 579: 552: 549: 548: 547: 538: 529: 520: 511: 509:Ocmulgee River 505:Macon, Georgia 502: 493: 491:Savannah River 484: 482:Congaree River 475: 466: 457: 448: 439: 426: 417: 408: 399: 390: 381: 364: 355: 346: 344:Delaware River 337: 302:Congaree River 231: 230: 225: 220: 215: 209: 196: 195: 194: 189:Main article: 186: 183: 180: 179: 144:of the subject 142:worldwide view 137: 135: 128: 106: 103: 26: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1147: 1136: 1135:Geomorphology 1133: 1132: 1130: 1120: 1110: 1108: 1103: 1098: 1097: 1094: 1085: 1084: 1078: 1073: 1072: 1051: 1045: 1043: 1041: 1024: 1018: 1016: 1014: 997: 991: 989: 987: 970: 964: 962: 960: 958: 941: 935: 919: 913: 905: 903:9781611177589 899: 895: 894:Eutaw Springs 888: 886: 884: 882: 880: 878: 876: 860: 854: 850: 849: 841: 826: 820: 816: 815: 807: 805: 803: 795: 789: 787: 771: 765: 761: 760: 752: 748: 738: 735: 733: 730: 729: 723: 721: 717: 713: 709: 705: 701: 691: 687: 683: 682: 680: 676: 672: 669: 665: 662: 661:River Ouareau 658: 655: 652: 648: 645: 641: 638: 634: 631: 627: 624: 620: 617: 613: 610: 607: 603: 600: 598: 594: 591: 587: 584: 580: 577: 573: 569: 566: 565: 564: 562: 558: 546: 542: 539: 537: 533: 530: 528: 524: 521: 519: 515: 512: 510: 506: 503: 501: 497: 494: 492: 488: 485: 483: 479: 476: 474: 473:Wateree River 470: 467: 465: 461: 458: 456: 452: 449: 447: 443: 440: 438: 437:Roanoke River 434: 430: 427: 425: 421: 418: 416: 412: 409: 407: 403: 400: 398: 394: 391: 389: 388:Potomac River 385: 382: 380: 376: 372: 368: 365: 363: 359: 356: 354: 350: 347: 345: 341: 338: 336: 335:Passaic River 332: 329: 328: 327: 324: 322: 318: 317:Potomac River 314: 310: 305: 303: 299: 295: 291: 287: 283: 280: 276: 272: 267: 265: 261: 260:United States 257: 253: 249: 245: 241: 229: 226: 224: 221: 219: 216: 214: 211: 210: 208: 207: 202: 201:OpenStreetMap 199: 192: 176: 173: 165: 162:November 2016 155: 151: 145: 143: 136: 127: 126: 123: 116: 111: 102: 100: 97:. Seeking a 96: 92: 88: 84: 80: 76: 72: 68: 67:coastal plain 64: 60: 56: 52: 51:coastal plain 48: 44: 37: 33: 19: 1081: 1054:. Retrieved 1027:. Retrieved 1000:. Retrieved 973:. Retrieved 944:. Retrieved 934: 922:. Retrieved 912: 893: 862:. Retrieved 847: 840: 828:. Retrieved 813: 773:. Retrieved 758: 751: 697: 679:Ottawa River 657:Dorwin Falls 621:Chute Ford ( 597:River Cazeau 554: 500:Oconee River 379:Gwynns Falls 325: 321:U.S. Route 1 313:Little Falls 306: 292:, where the 286:Little Falls 268: 266:is present. 243: 239: 237: 205: 204: 197: 168: 159: 139: 120: 46: 42: 40: 1050:"Fall Line" 1023:"Fall Line" 996:"Fall Line" 864:17 November 830:17 November 775:17 November 712:Quebec City 536:Coosa River 455:Neuse River 415:James River 371:Jones Falls 294:James River 91:grist mills 87:water mills 1056:25 January 1029:17 October 1002:25 January 975:25 January 946:25 January 924:25 January 743:References 275:Cretaceous 250:where the 248:escarpment 69:is softer 65:, and the 59:waterfalls 998:. 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Index

Fall Line
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

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