Utah geologists launch Arch Madness as cool teaching tool

Utahs Delicate Arch, just one of the arches people can put in their brackets for Arch Madness during March. Photo: Freepik.com

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah. — The clever administrators at The Utah Geological Survey (UGS) have created a new way to get everyone excited about rocks. They’ve launched an online tournament entitled Arch Madness. This COVID-conscience idea shows the magnificence of Southern Utah splendor to people around the world without anyone needing to leave their homes. 

Bracket-style voting ends tonight for the Round of 64, which will give way to further chances to vote online prior to Monday’s advancers to the Round of 32, followed by more voting for the Seismic 16, then again for the Eroded 8 and finally the Faunal 4. The Championship reveal is set to coincide with the basketball reveal on April 5th.

Many of the abundance of naturally formed arches scattered among the hills and valleys of Southern Utah are the favorites like Delicate Arch and its arch nemisis Rainbow Bridge. In it to win it though are some underdogs like ‘Arch Near Calf Creek Falls’ and ‘Arch In A Lava Tube,’ as the UGS refers to them, which are sharing this moment in the big-moon-dance.

If explorers don’t have those particular images etched in their minds or saved in their personal photos of their families standing by them, the UGS’s webpage is providing photos of all the contenders to help voters compare and contrast their new  discoveries or old standbys. 

Access this free, fun, family-friendly phenomenon here.