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Sailing Stones
In Death Valley, heavy rocks move across the desert floor on their own, leaving long trails. For decades no one knew how. In 2014, cameras finally caught them: thin ice sheets pushed by wind. But the mystery was beautiful while it lasted.
1915 - Present
Death Valley, California, USA
1000+ witnesses
The Sailing Stones moved themselves for nearly a century before we understood.
The Phenomenon
What happens:
- Heavy rocks move
- Across dry lake bed
- Leave long trails
- No witnesses
- Until 2014
The Mystery
Decades of questions:
- First reported 1915
- Many theories proposed
- Magnetic fields
- Aliens
- Wind alone
The Discovery
2014 revelation:
- GPS trackers placed
- Time-lapse cameras
- Thin ice forms
- Wind pushes ice
- Rocks carried along
The Process
How it works:
- Winter night
- Shallow water
- Ice forms thinly
- Light wind
- Rocks slide slowly
The Trails
What they look like:
- Long parallel tracks
- Some zigzag
- Different lengths
- Rocks of various sizes
- Decades of movement
The Beauty
Why it mattered:
- Mystery was compelling
- Simple explanation
- Nature still surprising
- Worth investigating
- Science rewards patience