Natural Arch Information

By Jay H. Wilbur

This section of the Natural Arch and Bridge Society website provides straightforward answers to common questions about natural arches. It has been structured so that someone with only a casual interest can get simple answers to basic questions, but also so that someone who wants the details can find them through the magic of hyperlinks. For those who are already familiar with the basics, the menu on the left of each page provides quick access to the reference material that is most often used. Those who want to review the basics, and those who just have a question or two, should begin with the list of frequently asked questions (FAQ).

About This Site

The author of these "ARCH INFO" pages has a Master of Science degree and over 40 years of experience studying natural arches. He has established ties with most other serious researchers in this discipline. Moreover, the information presented here is not just the opinion of the author. Rather it is an amalgamation of the work of several authors, both past and present, culminating in the decisions of the Standards and Definitions Working Group of the Natural Arch and Bridge Society.

This Working Group deliberated between 1990 and 1994. It included geologists, physical geographers, a physicist, and a mathematician. It considered all of the serious literature available on the subject at that time, the expert opinions of its members, and the solicited opinions of other experts. Its purpose was to mitigate the lack of widely agreed to standards and definitions to guide the study of natural arches. To a large extent, it achieved that purpose.

The information presented here is offered in the hopes that it will clear up ambiguities and conflicting information found in other sources, including some of the governmental agencies responsible for protecting and interpreting natural arches to the public. It is hoped that researchers, educators, and responsible agencies (e.g., the NPS, BLM, USFS, and various State Park agencies) will adopt and reference the information presented here.

These pages are offered as a public service. Links to this section of the website are welcome. However, these pages are copyrighted and should not be reproduced without the consent of the author.

As the author of these pages, I am always interested in comments, questions, and criticisms of both the content and format of this site. Of course, I also enjoy receiving information about natural arches, especially information or questions relevant to their study. Feel free to email me by clicking here.

Copyright 1993, 1994, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
by Jay H. Wilbur, All Rights Reserved.