firefall
Glowing waterfall illusion
A firefall is a waterfall that appears to glow like molten lava when lit by sunset or artificial light.
The term originated at Yosemite, where burning embers were once pushed off Glacier Point as a spectacle, and now describes the natural phenomenon when Horsetail Fall catches late February sunlight at the right angle: Photographers wait hours for the firefall.
Yosemite granite formation
- FebruarySecond month, often shortest
- sunsetDay yielding to darkness
- graniteIgneous rock, quartz-rich
- Sierra NevadaWestern U.S. mountain range
national park · seasonal · illumination · orange · lava-like · optical illusion · annual event · photography
Erupted liquid stone
- eruptionViolent sudden release
- moltenLiquefied by extreme heat
- magmaMolten rock underground
- volcanoEarth's fiery vent
basalt · Hawaii · Kilauea · incandescent · flow · glow · crater · fissure
El Capitan
Yosemite granite formation
Sierra Nevada · national park · seasonal · illumination · orange · lava-like · optical illusion · annual event · photography · viewpoint
lava
Erupted liquid stone
volcano · basalt · Hawaii · Kilauea · incandescent · flow · glow · crater · fissure · pyroclastic
torrent
Violent rushing flow
stream · flow · surge · spray · molten · lava-like · glowing · descent · vertical · cliff
embers
Smoldering fire remnants
- traditionCustom passed through generations
- ceremonyFormal event marking occasions
- spectacleVisually striking event
discontinued · nostalgia · 1968 · rangers · bonfire · push · evening · tourists · lodging · performance