The Hōlei Sea Arch collapsed into the Pacific Ocean on 27 September, an event that marks a significant transformation of the area's coastline. The arch, which formed approximately 550 years ago, was situated projecting from the coast of Volcanoes National Park on 23 September.
The National Park Service (NPS) has noted that the coastline flanking the sea arch has displayed signs of instability over several years. Furthermore, the NPS issued a warning in 2021, stating that the arch would eventually crumble.
The arch is situated at the terminus of Chain of Craters Road on the island of Hawaii. The collapse is believed to have occurred when the park temporarily closed during Tropical Storm Nolo last weekend.
Previous damage to the cliffs near the arch resulted from earthquakes during the 2018 Kīlauea volcano eruption and subsequent summit collapse. The park itself closed the original viewing area for the arch in January 2020 because of new cracks and instability observed in the cliffs.
In a separate incident, waves from a tropical storm later in 2020 broke off a section of rock from the arch's base. Park officials stated that the formation, while beautiful, possesses a limited lifespan and is temporary.
The park service confirmed that the sea arch will eventually crumble into the sea.
