One of Hawaii’s most recognizable coastal landmarks is gone. The famed Hōlei Sea Arch, a roughly 90-foot lava-rock formation inside Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, collapsed into the Pacific Ocean on Sunday, September 27, park officials confirmed this week. The arch stood at the end of Chain of Craters Road, where it extended dramatically from the sea cliffs above some of the roughest water in Hawaii. The arch was carved by waves into an ancient lava flow dating back roughly 550 years. According to the National Park Service, differences in the hardness of various lava layers allowed the Pacific to gradually eat through the cliff — a process known as “differential erosion.” See video of the iconic arch, before and after the collapse, below. Eventually, the same ocean that created it destroyed it. Park officials had warned for years that Hōlei’s days were numbered.…