One of the more famous arches in Arches National Park in Utah came crumbling down earlier this week. The sandstone Wall Arch which has been photgraphed countless times was found in pieces by Park service officials. The arch’s opening beneath the span was 71-feet wide and 33-1/2 feet high. It ranked 12th in size among the over 2,000 known arches in the park.
Now before you go blaming global warming, or motocross bikers, or stupid teenagers, it’s worth noting this is a natural event. From the NPS press release:
]]>All arches are but temporary features and all will eventually succumb to the forces of gravity and erosion. While the geologic forces that created the arches are still very much underway, in human terms it’s rare to observe such dramatic changes.