Moving Stones Mystery Finally Revealed

There is a place called "The Racetrack Playa", a barren lakebed in Dead Valley National Park. It is a home for world's natural wonders where "sailing stones" or "moving stones" that mysteriously move across the dried mud, leaving tracks in their wake.

 A team of U.S. scientists using GPS monitors and time-lapse photography recorded the first observation of these rocks in motion. By meticulously tracking weather data, scientists also explained how these rocks slog across the playa.

World's natural wonders of sailing rocks appear to be the perfect combination of rain, wind, ice and sun.

Solved Mystery:

Years ago, researchers traveled to the Racetrack Playa with plenty of instruments in tow. They first installed a weather station and several time-lapse cameras around the playa. They also placed 15 GPS-embedded limestone rocks of various sizes throughout the playa. Then, it was time to wait.

However, things got interesting in November 2013. In late November, significant amounts of rain and snow created a small pond in the south end of the playa. When December came, the GPS-embedded rocks started moving, with the heaviest weighing in at 35 pounds. The rocks reached blazing speeds of 9-16 feet per minute. Most importantly, the race was caught on camera.

Past theories attributed the rocks’ movements to high winds, liquid water, or ice. But scientists discovered it’s a careful balance of all these factors.

When the small pond formed in the southern portion of the playa, it cyclically froze at night and thawed under the midday sun. When the sun warmed the pond, thin layers of surface ice started breaking apart into massive floating sheets tens of meters in size. Although the ice sheets were large, they were still just a few millimeters thick.

But the freezing and thawing wasn’t enough on its own. A steady, light wind of about 7-10 miles per hour was also needed, but before the ice had completely melted. This wind, timed with the midday melt, pushed massive panes of ice into the stones. When the ice accumulated behind the stones, it generated enough force to set the stones into motion. And rather than floating or rolling, the rocks bulldozed their way across the mud, leaving behind their signature tracks.

The rocks won’t move if there’s too much water or ice, too much sun, or not enough wind. Everything must act in perfect harmony for the races to ensue.