{
  "id": 11529929,
  "title": "Hawaii's iconic 550-year-old Hōlei Sea Arch collapses",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/hawaiis-iconic-550-year-old-holei-sea-arch-collapses-11529929",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-02T21:00:41.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "BBC World",
    "slug": "bbc-world",
    "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crd6dy4xepgyo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Hawaii's renowned Hōlei Sea Arch, a 90-foot-tall lava rock structure that emerged approximately 550 years ago, has succumbed to the Pacific Ocean. The precise moment of its collapse remains uncertain. The structure was still protruding into the water from the coast of Volcanoes National Park on September 23, but vanished by September 27, according to the National Park Service (NPS). The coastline surrounding the sea arch has exhibited signs of instability for years, and the NPS had previously cautioned in 2021 that the arch would eventually disintegrate. Situated at the end of Chain of Craters Road on Hawaii's Big Island, the formation was a popular and frequently photographed tourist attraction. The arch is believed to have fallen when the park was temporarily closed during Tropical Storm Nolo over the weekend. The park service stated that seismic activity during the 2018 Kīlauea volcano eruption and summit collapse had weakened the cliffs near the arch. The arch's ultimate collapse represents the latest metamorphosis of the park's remote and rugged coastline. In January 2020, the original arch viewing area was closed due to new cracks and instability in the cliffs, and a safer viewing area was opened a few months later. A segment of rock broke off the arch's base during a tropical storm wave that same year. The park service emphasized in 2021 that this formation, though beautiful, is temporary and has a limited lifespan. The sea arch will inevitably crumble into the sea, but new entities will emerge as the cliff gradually migrates inland. Thousands of individuals have expressed their thoughts on the NPS's social media post regarding the arch's collapse, sharing memories of their visits and posting photos of the structure. One Facebook user remarked, \"Nothing and no one is here forever.\" In millions of years, the sun will ultimately perish, and we should cherish the beauty we have while we can.",
  "summary": "The lava rock formation protruding from the rocky cliffs of Volcanoes National Park crumbled some time last weekend.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Hindustan Times - World News",
        "title": "Why did Hawaii's iconic Hōlei Sea Arch collapse into the Pacific after 500 years? Before-and-after photos show the change",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/why-did-hawaiis-iconic-holei-sea-arch-collapse-into-the-pacific-after",
        "published": "2026-10-02T17:21:11.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "BBC Science",
        "title": "Hawaii's iconic 550-year-old Hōlei Sea Arch collapses",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/hawaiis-iconic-550-year-old-holei-sea-arch-collapses",
        "published": "2026-10-02T21:00:41.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}