Lower Mesa Falls, Henrys Fork of Snake River, Caribou-Targhee National Forest, Idaho, USA.

Lower Mesa Falls plunges 65 feet along Henrys Fork (also known as North Fork, a tributary of the Snake River) in Caribou-Targhee National Forest near Ashton in southeastern Idaho, USA. The falls flow over Mesa Falls Tuff, which formed 1.3 million years ago. A cycle of rhyolitic volcanism from the Henrys Fork caldera depositing a thick layer of rock and ash which compressed and hardened over time. Between 200,000 and 600,000 years ago, the river eroded a wide canyon which was subsequently partly filled with basalt lava flows. The Henrys Fork of the Snake River carved a channel through the basalt to create todays inner canyon.

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Copyright: © Tom Dempsey / PhotoSeek.com
Image Size: 4000x3000 / 4.1MB; http://www.photoseek.com/; Idaho North America Sawtooth National Recreation Area Sawtooth Wilderness Area US National Forest Service USA water waterfall

Lower Mesa Falls plunges 65 feet along Henrys Fork (also known as North Fork, a tributary of the Snake River) in Caribou-Targhee National Forest near Ashton in southeastern Idaho, USA. The falls flow over Mesa Falls Tuff, which formed 1.3 million years ago. A cycle of rhyolitic volcanism from the Henrys Fork caldera depositing a thick layer of rock and ash which compressed and hardened over time. Between 200,000 and 600,000 years ago, the river eroded a wide canyon which was subsequently partly filled with basalt lava flows. The Henrys Fork of the Snake River carved a channel through the basalt to create todays inner canyon.