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Home›Natural Surroundings›The “Blow Hole” of Wupatki National Monument

The “Blow Hole” of Wupatki National Monument

By Sam Lowe
October 16, 2010
16009
5

"Blow Hole" at Wuptaki National MonumentWUPATKI NATIONAL MONUMENT — Absorbed as they are by the magnificence of the scenery surrounding them, most people who visit these ancient ruins walk right past “the blow hole” because it looks more like a square sandstone bench than part of an archeological dig. Located near the ceremonial ball court east of the major ruins, the blow hole is a crevice in the earth’s crust that creates the impression that it’s capable of breathing. It connects to an earth crack, an underground passage formed by earthquake activity in the Kaibab limestone bedrock.

The hole reacts to barometric pressure above ground. When the air is warm and light above, the cold air from below blows out with such force that it can make your hair stand straight up. But when the air gets heavy and moist, it reverses itself and sucks the air down.

To date, no one has figured out what, if any, use the blow hole served for the ancient ones who built the Wupatki complex. Today, the Hopi descendants of the original builders call it “Yaaponsta” (the Wind Spirit). The Wupatki ruins are about 30 miles northeast of Flagstaff off Highway 89.

(Visited 7,921 times, 1 visits today)

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Tagsindian ruins

5 comments

  1. Wandering Justin 19 October, 2010 at 14:31 Reply

    That blowhole is a nice bit of relief on a hot day. Everyone who hasn’t been there before really should see Wupatki and Sunset Crater. The lava flows at Sunset Crater are crazy-spectacular.

  2. Jim Pipkin 17 March, 2013 at 22:09 Reply

    We’ve been visiting Wupatki since the days when cattle grazed freely over the site – an amazing place. There are times when you can almost hear voices…and one time when we could swear we heard children laughing, even though there was not another person within miles.

  3. Marc Severson 16 October, 2013 at 09:47 Reply

    I was fortunate enough to work in Wupatki for a time for the Park Service. It is a magical place; much more than that seen by the simple day visitor, and yes Jim, the children are there.

    • Michelle 7 April, 2016 at 17:30 Reply

      Marc, Is the Wuptaki blowhole from methane gas? Also if you take the road back past the other ruin and all the way to the little Colorado River, once you cross the river are technically on Indian reservation land??

  4. Dominic 15 October, 2017 at 12:33 Reply

    If you go to Wupatki don’t miss the turn off to Wukoki just before you enter Wupatki. It’s about a 1/2 mile away as a singular ruin site in the middle of wide open plains. It stirs the imagination of settlers in the area 800-1000 years ago. Purely magical.

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