AI Image
Hawaii’s picturesque Hōlei Sea Arch collapses into the ocean
NBC News • • nation
Key Points:
- The Hōlei Sea Arch at Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park collapsed between September 23 and the following Sunday, coinciding with a tropical cyclone that brought large swells to the coast.
- The arch, formed from 550-year-old lava flows and shaped by ocean erosion, had been weakened over time, including damage from the 2018 Kīlauea eruption and storms in 2020.
- Park officials have warned visitors to stay away from the unstable coastal cliffs, as some have dangerously approached the edge to view the arch remains, risking falls and drowning.
- The collapse was anticipated due to ongoing erosion and geological instability, with the U.S. Geological Survey noting the arch’s inevitable disappearance from continuous wave action.
