Hawaii's famous Hōlei Sea Arch, a 90-foot-tall (27.4m) lava rock structure that formed about 550 years ago, has collapsed into the Pacific Ocean. The exact time of the collapse is not known, but the arch was still projecting into the water from the coast of Volcanoes National Park on September 23, and was gone by September 27, according to the National Park Service (NPS).
“"The coastline flanking the sea arch has shown signs of instability for years," the NPS stated, warning in 2021 that the arch would eventually crumble.
Located at the end of Chain of Craters Road on the island of Hawaii, also known as "the big island," the formation was a popular and heavily photographed tourist destination. The arch is believed to have fallen when the park was temporarily closed during Tropical Storm Nolo last weekend. The park service noted that earthquakes during the 2018 Kīlauea volcano eruption and summit collapse had damaged the cliffs near the arch.
