Natural arch facts for kids

Delicate Arch in Arches National Park, Utah, United States

A natural arch is a natural rock formation where an arch has formed with an opening under the arch. It is also called a natural bridge, or (less commonly) rock arch. Natural arches commonly form where inland cliffs, coastal cliffs, fins or stacks are eroded by the sea, rivers or weathering.

Most natural arches are formed from narrow fins and sea stacks that is made up of sandstone or limestone.

Images for kids

The Azure Window, Malta, which collapsed in 2017
Metate Arch, Devils Garden (GSENM), a very thin arch near the end of its life
A topographic map of Coyote Natural Bridge in Utah shows how the meandering Coyote Gulch carved a shorter route through the rock under the arch. The old riverbed is now higher than the present water level.
Natural Bridge, Virginia
Natural arches in the La Cathedrale formation of Tadrart Rouge range, Algeria
Natural Arch, Tirumala, India
Arch in Timna Valley Park, Negev Desert, Israel
The arches at Marinha Beach, Caramujeira, Lagoa, Algarve, Portugal
Es Pontàs is a natural arch on the coast of Mallorca, Spain
Durdle Door, Dorset, the United Kingdom
Percé Rock, Quebec, Canada
The Arch of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Holei Sea Arch, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii, United States
Landscape Arch, Utah, United States - one of the longest natural arches in the world
Rainbow Bridge, Utah, a natural bridge formed by a meandering watercourse
"The Hole in the Rock” on Piercy Island, Cape Brett, New Zealand
The arch at Tunnel Beach, Dunedin, New Zealand

Natural arch facts for kids

Images for kids

See also