Hōlei Sea Arch in Hawaii's Volcanoes National Park collapses into ocean
The 90-foot lava rock arch that had stood for about 550 years fell into the Pacific between September 23 and 27, after years of documented instability.
A natural lava rock arch on the coast of Hawaii's Volcanoes National Park has collapsed into the Pacific Ocean. The 27-meter-tall formation, known as Hōlei Sea Arch, was still visible on September 23 but had disappeared by September 27, according to the National Park Service (NPS).
The NPS noted that the coastline surrounding the arch has shown signs of instability for years and warned in 2021 that the structure would eventually fail. The arch, located at the end of Chain of Craters Road on the island of Hawaii, was a frequent subject of tourist photographs.
Park officials believe the collapse occurred while the park was temporarily closed during Tropical Storm Nolo last weekend. They added that earthquakes linked to the 2018 Kīlauea eruption and the summit collapse had previously damaged the cliffs near the arch. In January 2020, new cracks prompted the closure of the original viewing area, and a safer viewing platform was opened later that year.
"This formation is beautiful, but temporary, and has a limited life span," the NPS said in 2021. "The sea arch will eventually crumble into the sea. However, others will replace it as the cliff slowly migrates inland."
The NPS posted about the collapse on social media, where users shared memories and photos of the former landmark.