The mystery of Racetrack Playa
Cracking the cold case
Global glides and dry lakes
How did researchers track the exact speed and path of the sailing stones without disturbing the natural ones?
What is the minimum wind speed required to push the ice sheets and move the sailing stones?
hank Sailing Stones of Death Valley
For years, a mystery deep in Death Valley lay, Thin ice and light winds, they move the stones each day!
hank The breakthrough discovery revealed that a rare combination of water, freezing temperatures, and sun creates the perfect sliding conditions.
What surprisingly thin material is crucial for the sailing stones of Death Valley to slide across the mud?
Fastest recorded slide: The fastest documented sailing stone was clocked moving at a speed of about fifteen feet per minute, which is slower than a snail's pace.
hank Gentle winter breezes push massive ice panels, which in turn shove the rocks across the slick, muddy lakebed.
What happens to the muddy playa floor that allows the sailing stones to glide with minimal friction?
At what speed do the sailing stones of Death Valley typically travel when they are actively moving?
A thin, transparent sheet of ice that forms over a shallow puddle or wet surface. In December 2013, researchers observed these thin sheets pushing heavy boulders across Racetrack Playa.
Who were the lead researchers who successfully solved the mystery of the sailing stones of Death Valley?
