Erosion of a Sea Stack Over 100 Years

The following photographs show the demise of Jump-off Joe, a sea stack at Nye Beach, Newport, Oregon. In 1890, the sea stack was composed of middle Miocene concretionary sandstone of the Astoria Formation. Yaquina Head on the Horizon is composed of middle Miocene basalt flows and breccia. Note remnant of Pleistocene terrace deposit along the wave cut bench on the stack.

Black-and-white photographs courtesy of Pacific Studios, Newport, Oregon.
Color photographs taken by Parke D. Snavely, Jr. of the USGS.

1890

1910

1920

Strongly jointed rock is water-laid clastic tuff.

1970

1990

For more information, see
"Beach Processes and Sedimentation, 2nd Edition" by Paul D. Komar, Oregon State University, published by Prentice Hall, 1998.