• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
A huge new crack has appeared at Yosemite national park

Home> News> US News

Published 17:09 16 Sep 2023 GMT+1

A huge new crack has appeared at Yosemite national park

The crack in Yosemite National Park has been nicknamed 'Super Natural', and it is still cracking up

Tom Wood

Tom Wood

A gigantic crack has appeared in a rock formation in Yosemite National Park, resulting in authorities to close off some parts of the park whilst they attempt to figure out what is going on.

Of course, these sorts of things do occur naturally all the time, so there’s no particular worry about it, but if it was to continue cracking – as seems to be the case – it could cause a pretty dramatic and potentially dangerous event.

You wouldn’t want to be standing underneath it when this rock came tumbling down, that’s for sure.

An investigation into the Yosemite crack, which was discovered by climbers, concluded that the cracking is still actively happening, and therefore a bit of the park has had to close down just for safety reasons.

Advert

As you can see, it's a pretty gnarly crack.
Instagram/@climber_stewards

The crack has detached – in part at least – a large pillar of rock near to a climbing route that is called ‘Super Slide’.

That’s why the 200-feet-long crack has been nicknamed ‘Super Natural’.

In order to reduce the risk to life from rockfall, some trails have been shut by the National Parks Service, starting on August 30 and continuing until further notice.

Advert

Jesse McGahey, one of Yosemite’s Supervisory Park Rangers, told Climbing: “The following week a climbing ranger and a geologist observed it first-hand and they could hear it cracking like a frozen lake that wasn’t consolidated,

“And there were pieces of rock rattling down the crack without touching it.

“The park geologist said they’d never seen anything like this. He’s never been able to observe that in his 15 years in Yosemite.”

The 'Super Natural' crack was noticed by climbers.
Instagram/@climber_stewards

Advert

Over the course of a seven-day period, the crack seemed to move around an inch, which – in geological terms – is a lot.

Still, it could take years for any huge pillar of rock to fall, or it could happen really soon.

We just don’t know, that’s the thing.

Until more is known, safety precautions have to be taken.

Advert

Yosemite is no stranger to events like this, as with most of the US' national parks.

The cliffs at the park were carved by glaciers, meaning that the landscape is in a constant state of flux and change.

However, you’d still want to know if there was about to be a massive rockfall.

Here's the area that has been shut down.
National Park Service

Advert

The National Park Service explained: “Triggering mechanisms like water, ice, earthquakes, and vegetation growth are among the final forces that cause unstable rocks to fall,

“If water enters fractures in the bedrock, it can build up pressure behind unstable rocks.

“Water also may seep into cracks in the rock and freeze, causing those cracks to grow. This process is called ‘frost wedging’ or ‘freeze-thaw’ and can incrementally lever loose rocks away from cliff faces.”

Worth keeping an eye on, then.

Featured Image Credit: Trip Advisor / Instagram/@climber_stewards

Topics: US News, Science, Nature

Tom Wood
Tom Wood

Tom Wood is a LADbible journalist and Twin Peaks enthusiast. Despite having a career in football cut short by a chronic lack of talent, he managed to obtain degrees from both the University of London and Salford. According to his French teacher, at the weekend he mostly likes to play football and go to the park with his brother. Contact Tom on [email protected]

X

@TPWagwim

Advert

Advert

Advert

  • Everything we know about Africa 'splitting in two' as large crack in Earth continues to grow
  • ‘Harbinger of doom’ fish appeared on coast two days before earthquake
  • Scientist leaves people outraged with her explanation for why Jurassic Park is impossible
  • Hikers issued eerie warning as apex predator not seen for a century spotted in park

Choose your content:

15 mins ago
an hour ago
2 hours ago
  • 15 mins ago

    New DNA evidence leads to huge breakthrough in case of pregnant woman found dead 33 years ago

    The woman known as 'I-90 Jane Doe' was found on Wyoming's Interstate 90

    News
  • an hour ago

    At least 20 people injured after car drove into a crowd outside LA nightclub

    Seven of those injured are said to be in critical condition

    News
  • an hour ago

    Woman diagnosed with cancer explains how she ‘saved her own life’ after pushing doctors for answers

    Haley was diagnosed with cancer in her 20s

    News
  • 2 hours ago

    Surprising amount of money you’d have if you invested $1,000 in Netflix 10 years ago

    Netflix's investment shares could have changed your life today

    News