List of longest natural arches

Last updated

This list of longest natural arches ranks the world's natural arches by the length of their span as defined and measured by the Natural Arch and Bridge Society (NABS). [1] [2]

Contents

As a disclaimer, the NABS states that the information in this list, and therefore the rankings, may change due to more accurate measurements in the future, changes in span length due to natural forces, and the discovery of previously undocumented arches. [3]

Longest natural arches

All known natural arches with span lengths of 180 ft (54.9 m) or greater are included in the list. Sort by clicking on column headings, excepting only the Image and Notes columns.

RankImageNameLocationSpan (m)Span (ft)Notes
1 external image Xianren Bridge (Fairy Bridge)China, Guangxi, Buliu River 121.9400Span measured by Natural Arch and Bridge Society (NABS) in 2010. The accuracy is stated as within ±15 ft (4.57 m). [4]
2 external image Zhijin Natural Bridge China, Guizhou, Zhijin Cave Scenic Area103.6340Span measured by NABS, 2015. [5]
3
Jiangzhou Natural Bridge.jpg
Jiangzhou Natural Bridge China, Guangxi, Jiangzhou94.5310Span measured by NABS, 2010. Estimates range from 280 ft (85.34 m) to 340 ft (103.6 m), so the midpoint is listed, ±36 ft (11.0 m) which includes a ±6 ft (1.8 m) accuracy above/below the higher/lower estimate. Jiangzhou ranks somewhere between 2nd and 6th position based on current estimates. [6]
4 external image Dachuandong Arch China, Guizhou, Si Lian91.4300Span measured by NABS, 2015. [7]
5
Landscape Arch Utah (crop).jpg
Landscape Arch United States, Utah, Arches National Park 88.4290Span measured by NABS, 2004. [8]
6
Kolob Arch 3a.jpg
Kolob Arch United States, Utah, Zion National Park 87.5287Span measured by NABS, 2006. Formerly considered longer than Landscape Arch. [9]
7 external image Qingxudong Arch China, Guizhou, Dafang76.5251Span measured by NABS, 2015. [10]
8
Aloba T15b 5831b Stefan Kroepelin.JPG
Aloba Arch Chad, Ennedi-Ouest Region, Ennedi Plateau 76.2250Rank based on estimated span length only. Precise measurements have yet to be made according to NABS standards. [11]
9
Morning Glory Natural Bridge.JPG
Morning Glory Natural Bridge United States, Utah, Grandstaff Canyon 74.1243Span measured by NABS, year not specified. [12] Morning Glory is a natural arch, not a natural bridge. [13]
10 external image Gaotun Natural Bridge China, Guizhou, Gaotun73.2240Span measured by NABS, 2010. [14]
11
Utah Rainbow Arch.jpg
Rainbow Bridge United States, Utah, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area 71.3234Span measured by NABS, 2007. Formerly considered the 3rd longest span in the world. [15]
12 external image Great Arch of Getu China, Guizhou, Getu Valley National Park70.1230Span measured by NABS, 2013 and 2015. [16]
13
Sipapu bridge.752.jpg
Sipapu Natural Bridge United States, Utah, Natural Bridges National Monument 68.6225Span measured by NABS, 2007. Formerly considered the 4th longest span in the world. [17]
14
StevensArchUT.jpg
Stevens Arch United States, Utah, Canyons of the Escalante 67.1220Rank based on estimated span length only. Precise measurements have yet to be made according to NABS standards. [18]
15
ShiptonsArchHDR.jpg
Shipton's Arch China, Xinjiang, K'ashih65.2214Discovered by Eric Shipton in 1947 and measured in 2000 by a National Geographic Society-sponsored expedition. [19]
16 external image Yunmentum Natural Bridge China, Guizhou, Zunyi64.9213Span measured by NABS, 2013. [20]
17 external image Hazarchishma Natural Bridge Afghanistan, Bamyan Province, Jawzari Canyon64.3211Discovered by the Wildlife Conservation Society in 2010. [21] WCS returned to measure the span according to NABS standards in 2011. [22]
18 external image Outlaw Arch United States, Colorado, Dinosaur National Monument 62.8206Discovered by rock climbers in 2006 who returned later in the same year to measure the span according to NABS standards. [23]
19
Snake Bridge.jpg
Snake Bridge United States, New Mexico, Sanostee 62.2204Span measured by NABS, 1988. Arch is on land of the Navajo Nation and is not publicly accessible. [24]
20
Pont d'Arc arch.JPG
Pont d'Arc France, Ardèche département 59194Spans the river Ardèche near the town of Vallon-Pont-d'Arc. [25]
21
Kachina Bridge (9474796110).jpg
Kachina Bridge United States, Utah, Natural Bridges National Monument58.2192Span measured by NABS, 2007. An earlier non-NABS estimate was 206 ft (62.8 m). [26]
22
Tian Menshan Mountain 5.jpg
Tianmen Shan China, Hunan Province, Zhangjiajie55180130 m high. Span reported by NABS. [27]
23
Verm wrather arch.jpg
Wrather Arch United States, Arizona, Wrather Canyon 54.9180NABS states that the span cannot be more than 180 ft (54.9 m) based on a related measurement made in 2008, though the span has not yet been measured precisely according to NABS standards. An earlier non-NABS estimate was 246 ft (75.0 m). [28]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Natural arch</span> Arch-shaped natural rock formation

A natural arch, natural bridge, or rock arch is a natural landform where an arch has formed with an opening underneath. Natural arches commonly form where inland cliffs, coastal cliffs, fins or stacks are subject to erosion from the sea, rivers or weathering.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Landscape Arch</span> Natural rock arch in Arches National Park, Utah, US

Landscape Arch is a natural arch in Arches National Park, Utah, United States. It is among the longest natural rock arches in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kolob Arch</span> Natural rock arch in Utah, United States

Kolob Arch is a natural arch in Zion National Park, Utah, United States. According to the Natural Arch and Bridge Society (NABS), it is the sixth-longest natural arch in the world. In 2006, the Society measured the span at 287.4 ± 2 feet, which is slightly shorter than Landscape Arch in Arches National Park. Differences in measuring technique or definitions could produce slightly different results and change this ranking.

The board foot or board-foot is a unit of measurement for the volume of lumber in the United States and Canada. It equals the volume of a board that is one foot (30.5 cm) in length, one foot (30.5 cm) in width, and one inch (2.54 cm) in thickness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rainbow Bridge National Monument</span> Natural bridge in San Juan County, Utah, United States

Rainbow Bridge is a natural arch in southern Utah, United States. With a span of 275 feet (84 m), as reported in 1974 by the Bureau of Reclamation, and height of 290 feet (88 m), it is one of the largest natural arches in the world. At the top it is 42 feet (13 m) thick and 33 feet (10 m) wide. The bridge, which is of cultural importance to a number of area Native American tribes, has been designated a Traditional Cultural Property by the National Park Service. Rainbow Bridge National Monument was protected in 1910, and it is administered by Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Truss bridge</span> Bridge whose load-bearing superstructure is composed of a truss

A truss bridge is a bridge whose load-bearing superstructure is composed of a truss, a structure of connected elements, usually forming triangular units. The connected elements, typically straight, may be stressed from tension, compression, or sometimes both in response to dynamic loads. There are several types of truss bridges, including some with simple designs that were among the first bridges designed in the 19th and early 20th centuries. A truss bridge is economical to construct primarily because it uses materials efficiently.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Pontchartrain Causeway</span> Parallel bridges in Louisiana, United States

The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, also known simply as The Causeway, is a fixed link composed of two parallel bridges crossing Lake Pontchartrain in southeastern Louisiana, United States. The longer of the two bridges is 23.83 miles (38.35 km) long. The southern terminus of the causeway is in Metairie, Louisiana, and the northern terminus is in Mandeville, Louisiana. Both are in the New Orleans metropolitan area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Double Arch (Utah)</span> Natural arch in Utah, United States

Double Arch is a close-set pair of natural arches in Arches National Park in southern Grand County, Utah, United States, that is one of the better known features of the park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glued laminated timber</span> Building material

Glued laminated timber, commonly referred to as glulam, is a type of structural engineered wood product constituted by layers of dimensional lumber bonded together with durable, moisture-resistant structural adhesives so that all of the grain runs parallel to the longitudinal axis. In North America, the material providing the laminations is termed laminating stock or lamstock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wrather Arch</span> Geologic feature in Coconino County, Arizona

Wrather Arch is a cave type natural arch in the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, in Coconino County, northern Arizona. The sandstone arch is located in the eponymous Wrather Canyon, a short side canyon of Paria Canyon. The Paria River is a tributary of the Colorado River, at its confluence down−canyon at Lee's Ferry. Wrather Arch was first spotted by a local pilot from Page, Arizona, Royce K Knight, as he flew over a remote gorge west of Glen Canyon. Reaching the arch by helicopter in 1963, Knight and National Geographic staff man Walter M Edwards calculated its height as 165 feet and about 250 feet across. A news bulletin from National Geographic dated February 4, 1966 states, "Tall as a 15 story building, Wrather Arch ... The Taj Mahal would fit comfortably into the arch..."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aloba Arch</span>

Aloba Arch is a natural arch located in Chad. Large natural arches are somewhat rare outside the southern and western regions of China and the Colorado Plateau of the southwest United States. Chad's Ennedi Plateau, located within the Sahara Desert in the northeast part of the country near Libya and Sudan has a geology similar to the Colorado Plateau and has produced a number of natural arches and similar landforms, although only Aloba can claim to be on the top ten list of longest arches in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sipapu Bridge</span> Natural bridge in Natural Bridges in San Juan County, Utah, United States

Sipapu Bridge is a natural bridge or arch located in the Natural Bridges National Monument in central San Juan County, Utah, United States. The bridge spans White Canyon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Devils Garden (Arches National Park)</span>

Devils Garden is an area of Arches National Park, located near Moab, Utah, United States, that features a series of rock fins and arches formed by erosion. The Devils Garden Trail, including more primitive sections and spurs, meanders through the area for 7.2 mi (11.6 km). The trailhead leads directly to Landscape Arch after a 0.8 mi (1.3 km) outbound hike, while Tunnel Arch and Pine Tree Arch can be seen on spur trails on the way to Landscape Arch. Several other arches, including Partition, Navajo, Double O, and Private Arch, as well as the Dark Angel monolith and Fin Canyon, are accessed via the primitive loop trail and its spurs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Memorial Bridge (Massachusetts)</span> Bridge in to West Springfield, Massachusetts

The Hampden County Memorial Bridge is a reinforced-concrete arch bridge that spans the Connecticut River between Springfield, Massachusetts and West Springfield, Massachusetts, constructed in 1922. The bridge is owned by Massachusetts Highway Department and is located on Massachusetts Route 147. It spans 209 feet (64 m) and rises 29.71 feet (9.06 m) above the river.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catenary arch</span> Architectural pointed arch that follows an inverted catenary curve

A catenary arch is a type of architectural arch that follows an inverted catenary curve. The catenary curve has been employed in buildings since ancient times. It forms an underlying principle to the overall system of vaults and buttresses in stone vaulted Gothic cathedrals and in Renaissance domes. It is not a parabolic arch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fengshan County</span> County in Guangxi, China

Fengshan County is a county of Guangxi, China. It is under the administration of Hechi City.

Xianren Bridge is a natural arch created by flowing water that has the world's longest recorded span. Carved of limestone karst, the formation bridges Buliu River in the northern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. Because of its remote location, accessible only by a three-hour rafting trip, it was not discovered until 2009 and remains relatively obscure. An expedition in October 2010 by the Natural Arch and Bridge Society first measured the bridge's span and found it to be 121.9 ± 4.6 m (400 ± 15 ft) in length.

Blackwater Natural Bridge is a natural arch in Shoshone National Forest, Wyoming. The arch is located along a ridge at an elevation of 10,777 feet (3,285 m) and is a little over .50 mi (0.80 km) southwest of Coxcomb Mountain. Blackwater Natural Bridge is to the east of the headwaters of Blackwater Creek, which flows north to the North Fork Shoshone River. No official determination of the height or span of the arch has been completed and the estimated size of the arch varies greatly. The non-profit Natural Arch and Bridge Society states that the arch is anywhere from 70 to 100 feet while other sources claim that it may be one of the largest in the world, with a span of 240 ft (73 m), a height of 280 ft (85 m) and with rock thickness of the arch at 32 ft (9.8 m).

References

  1. ↑ "The Natural Arch and Bridge Society: About Us". naturalarches.org. Natural Arch and Bridge Society. Retrieved 2017-03-12. The Natural Arch and Bridge Society (NABS) is an all-volunteer non-profit organization promoting the study, appreciation, and preservation of natural arches and bridges.
  2. ↑ Wilbur, Jay H. "On Measuring Arches: Finding the Span of Arches with Simple Shapes". naturalarches.org. Natural Arch and Bridge Society. Retrieved 2017-03-12.
  3. ↑ Brandt-Erichsen, David; Wilbur, Jay (2015-10-01). "A tour of the Big 19: Photos and information on the world's giant natural arches". naturalarches.org. Natural Arch and Bridge Society. Retrieved 2017-03-10.
  4. ↑ "Fairy Bridge". Natural Arch and Bridge Society. Retrieved 2017-03-12.
  5. ↑ "Zhijin Natural Bridge". Natural Arch and Bridge Society. Retrieved 2017-03-12.
  6. ↑ "Measurement of Jiangzhou Immortal Bridge". Natural Arch and Bridge Society. Retrieved 2017-03-12.
  7. ↑ "Dachuandong Arch". Natural Arch and Bridge Society. Retrieved 2017-03-12.
  8. ↑ Wilbur, Jay. "The Dimensions of Landscape Arch: Removing the Uncertainty". Natural Arch and Bridge Society. Retrieved 2008-05-19.
  9. ↑ Wilbur, Jay. "The Dimensions of Kolob Arch". Natural Arch and Bridge Society. Retrieved 2008-05-19.
  10. ↑ "Qingxudong Arch". Natural Arch and Bridge Society. Retrieved 2017-03-12.
  11. ↑ "Aloba Arch". Natural Arch and Bridge Society. Retrieved 2008-05-19.
  12. ↑ "Morning Glory Natural Bridge". Natural Arch and Bridge Society. Retrieved 2008-05-19.
  13. ↑ "Feature Detail Report for: Morning Glory Arch". geonames.usgs.gov. United States Geological Survey. February 25, 1989. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  14. ↑ "Gaotun Natural Bridge". Natural Arch and Bridge Society. Retrieved 2017-03-12.
  15. ↑ Wilbur, Jay. "The Dimensions of Rainbow Bridge". Natural Arch and Bridge Society. Retrieved 2008-05-19.
  16. ↑ "The Great Arch of Getu". Natural Arch and Bridge Society. Retrieved 2017-03-12.
  17. ↑ "Sipapu Natural Bridge". Natural Arch and Bridge Society. Retrieved 2008-05-19.
  18. ↑ "Stevens Arch". Natural Arch and Bridge Society. Retrieved 2008-05-19.
  19. ↑ "Tushuk Tash (Shipton's Arch)". Natural Arch and Bridge Society. Retrieved 2016-07-01.
  20. ↑ "Yunmentum Natural Bridge". Natural Arch and Bridge Society. Retrieved 2017-03-12.
  21. ↑ "Giant natural arch found in Afghanistan". Wildlife Conservation Society. Retrieved 2011-03-30.
  22. ↑ "Hazarchishma Natural Bridge". Natural Arch and Bridge Society. Retrieved 2017-03-12.
  23. ↑ "Outlaw Arch". Natural Arch and Bridge Society. Retrieved 2008-05-19.
  24. ↑ "Snake Bridge". Natural Arch and Bridge Society. Retrieved 2008-05-19.
  25. ↑ Scheffel, Richard L.; Wernet, Susan J., eds. (1980). Natural Wonders of the World. United States of America: Reader's Digest Association, Inc. p. 299. ISBN   0-89577-087-3.
  26. ↑ "Kachina Natural Bridge". Natural Arch and Bridge Society. Retrieved 2017-03-12.
  27. ↑ entry at naturalarches.org
  28. ↑ "Wrather Arch". Natural Arch and Bridge Society. Retrieved 2008-05-19.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.