SAN DIEGO — A section of the bluff near the Arch at Sunset Cliffs broke off yesterday morning, prompting warnings from geologists and local safety experts about the dangers of cliff diving in the area.
The collapse occurred near a popular spot where people frequently jump from an arch that extends from Sunset Cliffs Boulevard. Warning signs posted in the area alert visitors to potential fines and possible arrests for jumping.
Natural geological processes caused the collapse, according to a geology professor at SDSU. “This is not an unexpected event here at all,” said Dr. Pat Abbott. The rocks surrounding the cliff are 75 million years old and fracture as the earth moves and waves crash against the cliffside. “And those natural fractures mother nature’s fractures occasionally then gravity will pull one of those blocks off and it’ll hit the ground. And you can even see the fracture edges on that bluff it looks like it was cut during construction it’s so perfectly cut,” said Dr. Pat Abbott…