The mysterious moving rocks of Racetrack Playa
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August 5, 2008, 3:25 pm
Filed under: Environment, News of the Weird, Science/Technology | Tags: Geology, Natural Mysteries, Nature, science
Filed under: Environment, News of the Weird, Science/Technology | Tags: Geology, Natural Mysteries, Nature, science
This is a fascinating puzzle, and completely new to me — the moving rocks of Racetrack Playa in the Panamint Mountains in Death Valley National Park, California. The moving rocks, also called sailing stones or sliding rocks, slide across the surface of the playa leaving long tracks behind them. A playa is a seasonally dry lake bed. No one has ever seen the stones move, but the trails indicate that they do. Nor are these all little rocks, many are as big as a man, and some are as large as 750 lbs. For more pictures and possible explanation, follow the link above.
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hi
Comment by yankee September 10, 2008 @ 10:12 amhow this rocks moves?
Yankee,
The article we link to suggests that the wind moves them. Apparently that dried mud that the rocks are on gets so slippery when it rains that strong winds are able to move the rocks.
Comment by American Elephant September 10, 2008 @ 1:26 pmI too had a post on this..
http://nimis540.wordpress.com/2010/03/27/the-sliding-rocks-of-racetrack-playa/
Comment by Nimmy April 17, 2010 @ 10:45 amIt IS interesting! Would be fun to see them move in the wind and rain.
Comment by American Elephant April 17, 2010 @ 11:32 pm