Delicate Arch Will Collapse. We're Speeding It Up.

What the film says

1. Arches became a national park in 1971.

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2. Wall Arch (71 ft wide by 33.5 ft high opening) collapsed overnight in August 2008.

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3. Large slabs fell from Landscape Arch in 1991, and the trail beneath it has since been closed.

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4. A 2022 Frontiers in Earth Science study by University of Utah researchers modeled crack growth in an idealized arch under human-caused vibration; cracks grew ~1% more per year in 'noisy' (road/rail) settings than 'quiet' ones.

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5. In that study, a sustained moderate event (~15 mm/s, like a moderate earthquake) made the crack grow more than six times as much; the model also covered helicopter-type and induced-earthquake vibration.

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6. Arches had record visitation of 1.8 million in 2021 (up 74% from 2011), causing congestion and crowding.

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7. The 1916 Organic Act directs the NPS to conserve park resources and provide for enjoyment in a way that leaves them unimpaired.

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