150m high waterfall disappears due to the death pit

Death pits appear on a stretch of river near San Rafael, the highest waterfall in Ecuador, changing the flow.

The satellite captures the Coca River and San Rafael waterfall on August 4, 2014 (left) and March 15, 2020 (right).(Photo: NASA Earth Observatory).

Photos of Landsat 8 satellite show a different scenery after the San Rafael waterfall disappears. This used to be one of the most beautiful sights in Ecuador. The water flows from a height of 150m, creating a spectacular sight in the dense forest between the Andes and the Amazon basin. Waterfalls attract thousands of visitors every year.

San Rafael stopped flowing from 2/2/2020. A large hole of death appeared on the section of the Coca River several meters from the waterfall that diverted the current. The water is divided into three separate branches, descending on less steep and invisible views from the observation posts located at the old waterfall. The researchers suggest that the three branches can cause erosion, create a river and change the topography of the valley.

Photos taken in 2012 and 2020, after the waterfall disappeared.(Photo: Ecuadorian Ministry of Environment).

The cause of the death pit appears is still under investigation. Some geologists think it appears naturally, others suspect it is involved in the construction of Ecuador's largest hydroelectric plant. Ecuador's Ministry of Tourism currently has no plans to reclaim the river bed or restore the San Rafael waterfall.

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