Hawaiian sea arch Holei collapses into the Pacific Ocean

On Hawaii's Big Island, the sea arch Holei — one of the most recognizable landmarks in the Volcanoes National Park — has collapsed. The arch, about 27 meters high and carved by the ocean from a lava flow approximately 550 years old, was still standing on September 23. By the evening of the 27th, it had collapsed into the Pacific Ocean. The exact moment is unknown — the park was closed at the time due to tropical storm Nolo. Cracks and erosion in the surrounding rocks had long been observed, so the collapse was considered inevitable.