Current:Home > StocksUtah's famed Double Arch collapses, underscores fragility of National Park features -BeyondProfit Compass
Utah's famed Double Arch collapses, underscores fragility of National Park features
View
Date:2025-04-13 07:20:36
One of Utah’s natural wonders will never be the same following an arch collapse at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.
Double Arch, a frequently visited geologic feature in Glen Canyon’s Rock Creek Bay, gave way to the elements on Thursday, the National Park Service says. No one was injured as a result of the fine-grained sand feature’s collapse.
The event, according to Glen Canyon superintendent Michelle Kerns, should serve as a reminder of the responsibility and need to protect the mineral resources surrounding Lake Powell.
“These features have a life span that can be influenced or damaged by manmade interventions,” Kerns said in a statement. “While we don’t know what caused this collapse, we will continue to maintain our resource protection efforts on Lake Powell for future generations to enjoy.”
Kerns also reminded visitors to enjoy the natural resources offered at Glen Canyon, but to always “leave no trace.”
Here’s what to know.
Why did Utah’s Double Arch collapse?
While the cause of the collapse is not immediately clear, NPS suspects that changing water levels and erosion from wave action contributed to its destruction.
NPS noted that the fine-grained sand feature has been subject to “spalling and erosion” from weather events, including wind and rain, since its formation.
Meanwhile at Yosemite:Visitors scolded about dirty habit that's 'all too familiar'
How did Utah’s ‘Double Arch’ form?
The Double Arch, which was affectionately also called the “Toilet Bowl, Crescent Pool and Hole in the Roof,” formed from 190-million-year-old Navajo sandstone.
The sandstone that helped form the Double Arch originated between the late Triassic to early Jurassic periods, according to the NPS.
veryGood! (7888)
Related
- The company planning a successor to Concorde makes its first supersonic test
- There's no bad time to get a new COVID booster if you're eligible, CDC director says
- The unresponsive plane that crashed after flying over restricted airspace was a private jet. How common are these accidents?
- How a new hard hat technology can protect workers better from concussion
- Selena Gomez's "Weird Uncles" Steve Martin and Martin Short React to Her Engagement
- Judge Elizabeth Scherer allowed her emotions to overcome her judgment during Parkland school shooting trial, commission says
- Today’s Climate: June 3, 2010
- Dancing With the Stars' Lindsay Arnold Gives Birth, Welcomes Baby Girl With Sam Cusick
- The Grammy nominee you need to hear: Esperanza Spalding
- Dancing With the Stars' Lindsay Arnold Gives Birth, Welcomes Baby Girl With Sam Cusick
Ranking
- Sarah J. Maas books explained: How to read 'ACOTAR,' 'Throne of Glass' in order.
- Priyanka Chopra Shares How Nick Jonas “Sealed the Deal” by Writing a Song for Her
- Today’s Climate: May 25, 2010
- Congress Opens Arctic Wildlife Refuge to Drilling, But Do Companies Want In?
- Krispy Kreme offers a free dozen Grinch green doughnuts: When to get the deal
- How a new hard hat technology can protect workers better from concussion
- Woman facing charges for allegedly leaving kids in car that caught fire while she was shoplifting
- The Barbie movie used so much pink paint it caused a shortage
Recommendation
Travis Hunter, the 2
7 fun facts about sweat
How a new hard hat technology can protect workers better from concussion
Electric Car Bills in Congress Seen As Route to Oil Independence
Trump suggestion that Egypt, Jordan absorb Palestinians from Gaza draws rejections, confusion
Poll: One year after SB 8, Texans express strong support for abortion rights
So you haven't caught COVID yet. Does that mean you're a superdodger?
24-Hour Flash Deal: Save $100 on a Dyson Airwrap Bundle