Iconic Arch collapses at Arches National Park in Utah, IPTI scienist thinks it might be related to "Tectonic Implosion"

ARCHES NATIONAL PARK, Utah - One of the largest and most photographed arches in Arches National Park has collapsed.
Paul Henderson, the park's chief of interpretation, said Wall Arch collapsed sometime late Monday or early Tuesday. The arch is along Devils Garden Trail, one of the most popular in the park. For years, the arch has been a favorite stopping point for photographers. He said it's the first collapse of a major arch in the park since nearby Landscape Arch fell in 1991. No one has reported seeing it fall.
But Elmer Beauregard from th IPTI said the arch may have been a victim of a new theory called 'Tectonic Implosion'. "That arch was created over billions of years from wind and rain erosion, but ever since we've been drilling for more and more oil especially in the west, a lot of these arches are collapsing."
The most famous is the nearby Landscape Arch which fell in 1991.

A new study done by the newly created International Panel on Tectonic Implosion (IPTI) reports that there could be a correlation between oil pumped out of the earth and increased number of arches collapsing.
Another negative effect is reducing oil's natural lubrication of shallow earthquake faults. When the oil was in the crust, it helped fault lines slowly slide along, now tectonic pressure builds until it snaps. This results in less frequent but larger quakes. This is a real danger in places like California where seismic activity is normal but the recent rise in oil prices have resulted in increased oil extraction.
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