Earth & nature / DAY 18 OF 40
The rocks moved. The mystery didn't last.
Thin ice and a little wind can send desert stones travelling.
Here's the strange part.
The desert rocks really moved. Researchers watched thin floating ice panels, pushed by light winds, nudge stones across wet mud at Racetrack Playa. These were slow journeys, not high-speed escapes, and some events involved hundreds of rocks. The observation solved an important part of the puzzle, although the largest stones were not seen moving in that study. (Scripps Institution of Oceanography)
The researchers observed several movement events, not every stone under every condition. The largest rocks remained an open question in this report.
REALITY CHECK · TRUE OR FALSE?
Did somebody actually catch the rocks in the act?
Researchers directly observed several rock-movement events.
Go straight to the receipts.
Curious about the methods, dates or details? Open the original source and keep the caveat in view.
ORIGINAL SOURCEScripps Institution of OceanographyOpen publication ↗NEXT IN THE 40-DAY TRAIL / DAY 19A forecast with a chance of iron. ↗