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Arches National Park in Utah has over 2,000 documented natural stone arches, from sliver-thin cracks to spans greater than 300 feet, the National Park Service says.
ILLUSTRATION · AIArches National Park has over 2,000 documented natural stone arches, the National Park Service says.
The arches range from sliver-thin cracks to spans greater than 300 feet. They formed in porous sandstone that once was a desert of shifting dunes.
Deep beneath the surface lies a thick layer of salt. Squeezed by the rock above, it flowed and bulged upward into long domes, forcing the overlying rock to crack into a series of parallel lines. That so many arches still stand suggests the area has been geologically stable for at least 50,000 years.
SourcesEvery claim traced
- Tier 2 · Secondary
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