Mystery of how rocks move across Death Valley lake bed solved

[n2doc]

The cracking sounds were ferocious. An ankle-deep, frozen lake in Death Valley National Park was breaking apart under sunny skies.

As cousins Richard Norris and James Norris watched, a light wind began moving huge flows of ice across the surface of the water and into rocks weighing up to 200 pounds. Propelled by the ice masses, the rocks began to slide across the slick, muddy bottom of the normally dry lake bed, known as “the Racetrack Playa.”

“My god, Jim, it’s happening,” Richard yelled.

James Norris grabbed a camera.

Their photos last Dec. 21 provided the final evidence in solving a mystery of the Racetrack Playa that has long puzzled visitors and scientists: What mechanism moves rocks across flat dirt in the heart of the hottest, driest place on earth?

more

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-rocks-move-death-valley-lake-bed-20140827-story.html

[jwirr]

1. And why are they calling it frozen?

[Maedhros]

2. In winter, the playa lake contains water which freezes over.

The observed phenomenon occurred in December:

On Dec. 20, 2013, Richard and James Norris returned to inspect the instruments. “We found the playa covered with ice,” Richard recalled. “We also noticed fresh rock trails near shards of thin ice stacked up along the shoreline.”

The following afternoon, “we were sitting on a mountainside and admiring the view when a light wind kicked up and the ice started cracking,” he said. “Suddenly, the whole process unfolded before our eyes.”

[jwirr]

3. Wow.

[Schema Thing]

4. I remember reading this explanation a couple of years ago

But I guess no one had actually seen it at that point.

[progressoid]

5. Rec!

[TlalocW]

6. lies...

I and a few friends have been moving them. We wanted a prank and crop circles are so banal.

[FiveGoodMen]

7. Are you from another planet?

And what about the pyramids?

[tclambert]

8. They're actually quantum-locked creatures that can only move when you're not looking at them.

And then they're fast, really fast. So don't look away. And don't blink.

[jakeXT]

9. .

[ThoughtCriminal]

10. But...

Sorry. Somebody had to post it.

[intaglio]

11. Finally! n/t

[SunSeeker]

12. Good. Now maybe tourists can stop stealing those rocks thinking they're magic. nt

[William Seger]

13. “There was a side of me that was wistful,” James Norris added

“because the mystery was no more.”

Gotta say, I choked back a tear myself...

[Cleita]

15. It's been solved for awhile.

But I guess it's still a good story on a slow news day.

[silvershadow]

16. Ok, before I read the article...Do they have little feet?