The sailing stones are a geological phenomenon where rocks move in long tracks along a smooth valley floor without human or animal intervention. They have been recorded and studied in a number of places around Racetrack Playa, Death Valley, where the number and length of travel grooves are notable. The force behind their movement is not understood and is subject to research. |
Racetrack stones only move every two or three years and most tracks develop over three or four years. Stones with rough bottoms leave straight striated tracks while those with smooth bottoms wander. Stones sometimes turn over, exposing another edge to the ground and leaving a different track in the stone's wake. |
Sliding rock trails fluctuate in direction and length. Some rocks which start next to each other start out traveling parallel, but one may abruptly change direction to the left, right, or even back the direction it came from. Length also varies because two similarly sized and shaped rocks could travel uniformly, then one could burst ahead or stop dead in its track. |
Speed is an unknown variable. Since these stones are rarely transported and nobody has witnessed the movement, the speeds the rocks travel at are not known. |
Geologists Jim McAllister and Allen Agnew mapped the bedrock of the area in 1948 and made note of the tracks. Naturalists from the National Park Service later wrote more detailed descriptions and Life magazine featured a set of photographs from The Racetrack. Speculation about how the stones may move started at this time. Various explanations have been put forward over the years that have ranged from the supernatural to the very complex. |
Most hypotheses favored by interested geologists posit that strong winds when the mud is wet are at least in part responsible. Some stones weigh as much as a human, which some researchers, such as geologist George M. Stanley, feel is too heavy for the area's wind to move. They maintain that ice sheets around the stones either help to catch the wind or move in ice flows. |
Researches studied some stones for several years. Ten of the initial twenty-five stones moved in the first winter with Mary Ann (stone A) covering the longest distance at 212 feet (64.5 m). Two of the next six monitored winters also saw multiple stones move. No stones were confirmed to have moved in the summer and some winters none or only a few stones moved. In the end all but two of the thirty monitored stones moved during the seven year study. At 2.5 inches (6.5 cm) in diameter Nancy (stone H) was the smallest monitored stone. It also moved the longest cumulative distance, 860 feet (262 m), and the greatest single winter movement, 659 feet (201 m). The largest stone to move was 80 pounds (36 kg). |
Wind and ice both are the favored hypothesis for these mysterious sliding rocks. But as those are only hypothesises, we can say that the mystery remains... |
Submitted by: Karen Hed.
I Love Laughing at Clever Cartoons, Don't You?
from religion to family to funny situations, you'll surely find something to raise that smile in these funny cartoons.
The Incredible Sights and Sites of Salamanca, Spain!
Looking at the most interesting and beautiful parts of Salamanca, Spain
These Photos Will Make You Rub Your Eyes in Puzzlement
These photos are all very puzzling at first look, maybe even at the second as well...
Ever Hear of THESE Mixed Dog Breeds? 50 Beautiful Pairings
This post will show you no less than 50 of the most adorable mixes of dogs you may have never encountered before.
You Wouldn't Believe the Secrets Behind these Locations
These 10 destinations are shrouded in so much mystery, very little is known about them
The 2023 German Society for Nature Photography Competition
A remarkable collection of 15 photographs unveiled during the 2023 German Society for Nature Photography competition.
10 Fascinating Facts About the Subconscious Mind
10 facts about the way the subconscious mind works
Fascinating: What is the Deepest Hole Humanity Has Dug?
This video explains how low humanity has dug down so far.
24 Smart Storage Inventions You Didn't Know You Needed
These super useful inventions are designed to make you help space!
12 Earliest Versions of Tech Inventions We Use Every Day
Witness the evolution of 11 popular devices we use all the time by looking at how they all started...
Revolutionize Your Green Space: 12 Cool Garden Gadgets
Take your garden to the next level with the amazingly cool inventions and gadgets.
Do You Know What Alzheimer's Really Is?
This video will shed light on the different stages of this complex and incredibly destructive disease.
Scientists Develop 'Flying Dragon' Robot to Fight Fires
Scientists in Japan have created a water-spitting 'flying dragon' robot to fight fires.
Welcome to the Fastest Maze-Solving Competition Ever Made...
Welcome to Micromouse, a competition for the quick of eyes and the quick of minds. This is the oldest robotics race.
This Secret Invention Changed the Course of WW2
Let’s take a closer look at the proximity fuze, also called Vt Fuze, an invention that changed the course of the second World War.
Doctors Make History With First Whole Eye Transplant
Surgeons in New York have performed the world’s first transplant of an entire human eye!
This Giant Tank Will Unlock the Universe’s Big Mysteries
Japan is building a huge underground tank inside a mountain to help unlock the many mysteries of the universe.
Erecting a Behemoth: Installation of an Offshore Oilrig
How do they install an offshore oilrig? This video will show you, step by step, how it is done.
Is It 3024 Already?! – 14 Wildly Futuristic Things
These revolutionary ideas are about to change our world.
These Ancient Inventions Have Got Scientists Stumped!
Here are 12 items from long ago which prove that our ancestors possessed knowledge and skills far more advanced than we once believed them to be.
New Study: A Pill that Works Out Your Muscles?!?
New study shows that, though we are not there yet, a pill can and probably WILL come out that works out the muscles and grows them.
These Fire Tricks Will Wow You, But Don't Try Them!
These fire tricks are incredible to look at, but please don't try this at home...
A Tunnel Built by a Swarm of Robots - Jaw-Dropping!
Imagine a swarm of robots attacking a mountain and smashing it to pieces...
I Never Knew These Stunning Facts About Our Universe
If you thought you understood the universe, you'll be completely floored by this insane facts.
16 Surprising Things I Never Knew About Sleeping!
Who knew there was so much we don't know about our most popular activity! Here are 16 facts you may not have known about your sleep.
Is There Any Way To Destroy or Deflect Asteroids?
Watch an interview with Cathy Plesko, a leading scientist working on preparing for the dangers of an asteroid attack
15 Frightening Animals Early Humans Had to Live With
10 scary animals early cavemen in Africa had to deal with 200,000 years ago.
Whatever Happened to that Hole in the Ozone Layer?
Let's embark on this enlightening journey to better understand our atmosphere's health.
Why is Everyone Obsessed with This Weight-Loss Tool?
Ozempic has been touted as a wonder drug for weight loss in recent months. But what's the real truth behind it?
Future Technology: Inventions That Will Change Our World
Check out a few amazing futuristic inventions that are about to become mainstream.
New Study: There is a Sure Way to Slow Aging
This new study confirms what has long been suspected: The less calories we consume, the slower we age.
The Curious Science of Tricking Your Taste Buds
Did you know you could confuse your sense of taste? Find out how!
NASA's Plan to Colonize the Moon by 2026
NASA has a Moon colonization plan that involves utilizing 3D printers to construct an entire space station by 2026. Here's what it will look like.
Ancient Skull Found In China Unlike Any Human Ever Seen
A newly-discovered skull in China had baffled scientists. This could mean we might have discovered an entirely new species of humans.
Fascinating Science: How Old Can We Actually Get?
All things being equal, and technology continually progressing - How old can a human body really get?
These Expensive Megaprojects Proved to be a Waste of Time
Not all megaprojects are useful. Here are some worthless ones.
You Wouldn't Believe How Far Technology Has Come
Take a look at the advancements of technology in this video. Impressive.
STUDY: The Effect of Personality on Our Level of Happiness
Researchers finally know which types of people will always be happier than others.
Why Do We LAUGH? 7 Studies on the Origins of Humor
As pervasive as it is in our lives, the origin of laughter remains an intriguing enigma. This article investigates the origins of laughter and humor.
25 Pics Showing How People in the Past Imagined the Future
Let’s see how the people of the past imagined the future and find out if their fun predictions came true with these 25 vintage pictures
These 11 Brain Facts Are Enough to Boggle Your Mind
When you consider the sheer complexity of the human brain, it's difficult to wrap your head around it. Learn these 11 fascinating facts about the human brain.
20 Useful Facts About the Science of Cooking
The science behind cooking is not often thought of, but it plays a crucial role in a dish turning out right. Here are 20 facts on the science of cooking.
10 Real-Life Technologies That Science Fiction Foretold
Sometimes even the wildest science-fiction predictions about the future come true.
The McGurk Effect - Don't Believe Your Eyes!
What we hear can be affected by what we see...
This Humanoid Robot May Join the Workforce Very Soon...
Meet Digit – a bipedal robot that's ready to join human workers at warehouses around the world as early as 2024.
17 Incredible Eye Facts You Have To See To Believe
They say the eyes are the window to the soul, and they also happen to be our windows to the world. Here are 17 insanely fascinating facts about eyes.
Remembering the Life and Wisdom of Stephen Hawking
Stephen Hawking possessed one of the greatest minds the world has ever seen, but was also impaired by a debilitating disease. Here are his life ant times.