Lomo Morín, the artificial waterfall in Tierra del Trigo.
We can rarely say that the hand of the human being contributes to creating natural goods. Unfortunately, the opposite usually happens, but sometimes we are surprised.
This is the case of the cascade Loin Morin in Tenerife , where irrigation water has modified the hydrogeological system creating not only a new landscape, but also an opportunity for farmers in the area (and now also for tourism).
This is revealed by a recent study published in Anthropocene by the director of the Geological Mining Institute of Spain (IGME), Ana María Alonso Zarza. As she affirms in said study, thanks to the use of irrigation a natural treatment plant, rock formations (tuffs) and even a CO2 sink have been created that under natural conditions would take centuries to form but with this system it has only taken 40 years.
HOW TO GET HERE
Lomo Morín is located in the population center of land of wheat , in the municipality of the silos , north of Tenerife. As its name indicates, it is an agricultural area, hence the importance of this waterfall for the irrigation system. It is also especially interesting for those who enjoy hiking, due to its altitude, about 500 meters above sea level, and also because of the spectacular views.
The waterfall is reached from Tierra del Trigo in the direction of Los Silos, on a walk of approximately 2.5 km. If you follow the path you will reach the Mirador El Tanque. Remember that they are wet and slippery lands, do not forget to wear good shoes!
But, how has it been possible? Instead of creating a large-scale work, they thought that the best way to take advantage of the water (in this scarce area) was to channel it, because other systems with pipes had failed when the ducts calcified. That water that crosses the galleries and volcanic rocks -rich in carbon dioxide- is taken to a hillside where the Lomo Morín waterfall is formed.
Since then, the water from the waterfall began to modify the landscape , which, as Ana María Alonso Zarza comments, right now is like a natural 3D printer. This is due to the calcium carbonate that shapes the waterfall creating unusual and beautiful formations.
Volcanic rocks, water, vegetation, CO2 and human interaction they have created in this place a unique landscape of petrified waterfalls that should have been created in thousands of years, and that open a window of hope to recover other lost landscapes in Europe due to climate change, erosion or CO2 influxes. "The human modification of the hydrogeological system reported in this study has produced changes in the geological and ecological conditions that have increased the island's biodiversity," says Ana María.