Death Valley Sailing Stones

Mar 07, 2008 21:49

Has anyone posted about these yet? They think it's wind, but some of these things weigh over 700 lbs. Mysterious moving stones:

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rocks

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Comments 47

naamah_darling March 8 2008, 05:58:44 UTC
How is it that I have driven through Death Valley four times, and never heard of this?

That is incredibly cool.

And yet, I would not want to turn my back on them. Something in my lizard-brain thinks this is really, really creepy.

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icelore March 8 2008, 06:03:55 UTC
Agreed.

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zhukora1 March 8 2008, 06:11:00 UTC
*puts on ranger hat*

They're waayyyyy off the beaten track. Racetrack is extremely difficult to get to unless you have 4-wheel drive and a high-clearance vehicle. Making a trip out that-a-way generally takes a fair amount of planning because unless you have special tires, it's not recommended you drive faster than 15 mph because the road is so rough tourists regularly have their tires popped and they get stranded. You have to be especially careful in the summer because that road is only patrolled once every few days.

Fun factoid: Park Service had a run-in with the Manson clan along the road there, back in the day before they all got arrested.

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thormonger March 8 2008, 06:00:18 UTC
I have this picture as computer wallpaper:


... )

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curseangel March 8 2008, 06:07:13 UTC
That is a gorgeous picture. :D

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thormonger March 8 2008, 08:31:57 UTC
It's from Astronomy Picture Of The Day, which has tons of amazing pictures. (It's syndicated here on LJ too.)

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malfeasanceses March 8 2008, 07:18:57 UTC
Oooohh! That picture is, like, all the mysteries of the universe. I love the mirroring arcs in the stars and sand. *shiver*

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choke March 8 2008, 06:00:26 UTC
added to my memories.
weird. FUCKING weird.

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orange_lazarus March 8 2008, 06:27:58 UTC
I did a project on these once, I thought they were some of the coolest things I'd heard of.

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malfeasanceses March 8 2008, 07:20:45 UTC
These things! Isn't there a theory about moving magnetic fields... or something?

Eerie.

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gemfyre March 8 2008, 09:12:42 UTC
The explanation I've heard is that when it does rain there it really pelts down (like most desert storms) and turns that dusty clay into slick mud. That coupled with a good wind and big rocks slide around quite easily.

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malfeasanceses March 8 2008, 09:14:07 UTC
Aha!

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markymarkiship March 10 2008, 01:58:22 UTC
ICON LOVE! The Host = Best Korean monster movie ever made.

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