In the heart of California’s Death Valley, one of the hottest and driest places on Earth, a strange mystery once played out on the cracked surface of a dry lakebed.

At Racetrack Playa, some heavy stones appear to move entirely on their own, leaving long, curling tracks across the desert floor.

For decades, no one could explain it.

Were the rocks pushed by strong winds, carried by magnetic forces, or moved by pranksters in the night?

The phenomenon baffled visitors and scientists alike, adding to the mystique of one of America’s starkest landscapes.

Reports of the “sailing stones” date back to the early 20th century, when prospectors and travelers first noticed the mysterious trails etched into the playa’s mud-cracked surface.

The rocks seemed to glide across the ground, yet no one had ever seen them in motion.

Their tracks sometimes stretched hundreds of feet, snaking in parallel paths before veering off in different directions.

The answer finally came in 2014, when researchers set up GPS trackers and time-lapse cameras on the playa.

During a rare winter storm, rain pooled on the flat surface and froze into a thin sheet of ice just a few millimeters thick.

As the sun rose, the ice cracked and shifted under light winds. The rocks, caught in the moving ice panels, were slowly nudged along.

The movement was subtle, only a few meters per minute, but enough to leave dramatic trails in the soft mud.

The discovery revealed that the stones did not need extraordinary forces to move, only a precise balance of water, thin ice, wind, and timing.

The mystery was solved, though the sight of the tracks across the playa remained astonishing.

Racetrack Playa itself is as striking as the stones that cross it.

The dry lakebed stretches for nearly three miles, surrounded by the Cottonwood and Last Chance Ranges.

In summer, temperatures soar above 120°F, baking the playa into a cracked mosaic.

In winter, storms can sweep in suddenly, flooding the flat expanse and setting the stage for the stones’ movement.

Today, the sailing stones are protected within Death Valley National Park, and visitors are asked to leave them undisturbed.

Until next time,

Emails From Afar Team

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