The particle animation displayed when you fall from a height is sometimes significantly bigger than it should be. To replicate this glitch:
A) go into creative mode
B) go up very high and fall for at least 50 metres (blocks) or so.
C) Stop falling right before you hit the ground by double tapping the space bar.
D) Now, go to a low height (eg. just one block above ground).
E) Drop down from this low height.

When you drop, you'll see the particle shockwave that is representative of the big fall that you had before you stopped yourself from falling, as opposed to seeing a mini shockwave from falling only for a few blocks of height.