Posted on 08/10/2008 7:20:14 AM PDT by Robert A Cook PE
ARCHES NATIONAL PARK, Utah — One of the largest and most photographed arches in Arches National Park has collapsed.
Paul Henderson, the park's chief of interpretation, said Wall Arch collapsed sometime late Monday or early Tuesday.
The arch is along Devils Garden Trail, one of the most popular in the park. For years, the arch has been a favorite stopping point for photographers.
Henderson said the arch was claimed by forces that will eventually destroy others in the park: gravity and erosion.
"They all let go after a while," he said Friday.
He said it's the first collapse of a major arch in the park since nearby Landscape Arch fell in 1991. No one has reported seeing it fall.
Like others in the park, Wall Arch was formed by entrada sandstone that was whittled down over time into its distinctive and photogenic formation.
The arch, first reported and named in 1948, was more than 33 feet tall and 71 feet across. It ranked 12th in size among the park's estimated 2,000 arches.
Rock has continued to fall from the remaining arms of the arch forcing the closure of a portion of the trail.
Officials from the National Park Service and the Utah Geological Survey visited the site Thursday, noting stress fractures in the remaining formation. The trail won't be opened until the debris is cleared away and it's safe for visitors, Henderson said.
Reference.
Global warming the cause?
BUSH KNEW
Greens to man you caused it earth to greens take that.
Bush lied, arches died!
Thank you for the photo’s.
I question the timing.
I, for one, welcome our new, archless overlords.
big oil. too much drilling discombobulated the earth’s crust and caused minute movements of the earth which caused the disturbances from drilling to become insupportable by the blessed formations of rock so loved by the population.
proof that the greedy, evil oil companies should be nationalized an placed in the hands of the good people on the compassionate left.
My favorite National Park in my favorite area. That is too bad, but there are more being made by the same forces.
An inside job, obviously.
The news just rocks today.
Global warming. Thank God it didn’t kill a polar bear.
Let’s build a “Freedom Arch” in 20 years to replace it.
Oh yes, we live on a never changing planet. The same forces that created the arch have removed it and as we lament this arch, a new arche are forming. Of course, it won’t be ready in time for the next thousand administrations or so. Or on the other hand, one could be discovered next week.
There is the other theory of course, Since the Park Service will be better funded under Obama, they can just reconstruct this arch and encase the others in Bio-Plastic.
Truly, this is not a political event even though some wish it was.
Rober A. Cook said: Reference
Ahhh, c’mon man, get real. If the accusation is against Pres. Bush, no reference necessary.
Now, if it’s against Breck Boy or any suck-egg mule liberal, no amount of references can ever be enough.
Robert, what world do you live in?
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