Astronomy Picture of the Day
    


A Sailing Stone in Death Valley
<< Yesterday 22.02.2012 Tomorrow >>
A Sailing Stone in Death Valley
Credit & Copyright: Nathan Alexander, Wikipedia
Explanation: How did this big rock end up on this strange terrain? One of the more unusual places here on Earth occurs inside Death Valley, California, USA. There a dried lakebed named Racetrack Playa exists that is almost perfectly flat, with the odd exception of some very large stones, one of which is pictured above. Now the flatness and texture of large playa like Racetrack are fascinating but not scientifically puzzling -- they are caused by mud flowing, drying, and cracking after a heavy rain. Only recently, however, has a viable scientific hypothesis been given to explain how 300-kilogram sailing stones ended up near the middle of such a large flat surface. Unfortunately, as frequently happens in science, a seemingly surreal problem ends up having a relatively mundane solution. It turns out that high winds after a rain can push even heavy rocks across a temporarily slick lakebed.

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
 < February 2012  >
Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su


12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
272829



Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.

Based on Astronomy Picture Of the Day

Publications with keywords: Earth
Publications with words: Earth
See also:
All publications on this topic >>