Other arches in Utah will eventually collapse like Double Arch, expert warns
Aug 16, 2024, 5:00 PM | Updated: 6:18 pm
Editor’s note: This story previously said that if Lake Powell was above full pool, there’s a chance that the arch might still be here. This has been corrected to say that if Double Arch was above full pool, there’s a chance that it might still be here.
SALT LAKE CITY — All of Utah’s historic rock formations, even the famous Delicate Arch as seen on Utah’s license plates, will eventually collapse.
That’s according to Tyler Knudsen, senior geologist with the Utah Geological Survey.
Knudsen explained these formations most likely formed within the last one to two million years from the Colorado River and its tributaries cutting through the sandstone.
And while they’ve stood for that long, they’re constantly eroding. From gravitational force and the still-moving waters of the Colorado River, these staples of Utah’s landscape are slowly fading away.
“Some of these [rock formations] are being created elsewhere, but, eventually gravity is going to win out and they’re going to collapse,” Knudsen told KSL NewsRadio.
The fall of Double Arch
Last week, Double Arch, also known as the Toilet Bowl, collapsed at Lake Powell.
Knudsen said what happened to Double Arch was caused by erosion. Utah’s other rock formations are going through the same thing right now.
However, Knudsen also explained there was a chance Double Arch wouldn’t have collapsed as soon as it did if Lake Powell was closer to full pool level.
Double Arch sat about 100 feet below Lake Powell’s brim.
“That elevation was just the right elevation to where…[it] probably was affected by fluctuations in reservoir levels,” Knudsen said. “If the arch was above full pool… I think there’s a chance it might still be here.”
He explained if higher, fluctuating water levels soaked Double Arch’s rock, gone down and dried in a repeated process, “That likely does affect the strength of the rock,” Knudsen said.
Preserving the other arches in Utah
Knudsen mentioned Landscape Arch in Arches National Park when asked if any other Utah arches could collapse in the near future.
However, there is no concrete timetable.
Knudsen also said, at this point, he doesn’t think Utahns need to worry about Delicate Arch or most other famous formations in the state collapsing any time soon.
“Some of these features are more delicate than others, but yeah, you’ve got time for most of them.”
Knudsen said the less we climb on them and disturb the area around them, the better.
“Mother Nature is going to do its thing, erosion’s going to happen. But there are some cases where I think humans could accelerate it a little bit. So it’s best to view these things from afar.”
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