Posted on 07/23/2010 6:14:16 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
Actively studied for 50 years, the rocks that mysteriously move around the dried lake bed playa in Death Valley, called the Racetrack, are yet to have an unquestionable explanation for their movement.
...
In 1976 Robert Sharp and Dwight Carey diputed the ice-sheet theory. They analyzed the tracks and concluded because of track characteristics and the geometries of the tracks relative to each other that ice sheets could not have been involved in forming the tracks and moving the rocks.
Sharp and Carey concluded due to the non-parallel nature and the crossing of some trails that it would be impossible for one ice sheet to be a moving agent of these rocks.
Sharp and Carey also did an experiment using a circle of stakes around rocks to test the ice-sheet theory. At one time the one rock within the stakes (called "the corral") moved out leaving a distinct track; another time two rocks were placed inside the corral and the smaller rock moved out while the larger remained within the stakes. Sharp and Carey concluded that this would be an impossible result if ice was necessary for moving the rocks.
...
Reid et. al. conducted friction coefficient experiments and determined that the friction of the playa surface was so high that impossible wind speeds were necessary for wind alone to move the rocks on the playa surface.
(Excerpt) Read more at sophia.smith.edu ...
|
|
|||
Gods |
Thanks Daffynition! To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. |
||
|
· Discover · Bronze Age Forum · Science Daily · Science News · Eurekalert · PhysOrg · · Nat Geographic · Texas AM Anthro News · Yahoo Anthro & Archaeo · Google · · Archaeology · The Archaeology Channel · Excerpt, or Link only? · cgk's list of ping lists · · History topic · history keyword · archaeology keyword · paleontology keyword · · Science topic · science keyword · Books/Literature topic · pages keyword · · |
|||
It’s gnomes. Definitely gnomes.
One of my favorite strange spots on the planet ping!
I think this is wrong. I think the racetrack is one of the features on the floor of Death Valley.
So put some GPS units on the rocks and have them send hourly data to the satellite. Shouldn’t take too long to figure this out.
I’ve never heard of this. I skimmed the article and studied the pictures for 5 minutes. I’m pretty sure I know the only possible explanation.
vibration.
There are only two sources for vibration. Earth and sky. Earth vibration would be earthquakes, or maybe not quite so extreme as that, maybe just a slight standing wave set up in the rock itself and not in the ground beneath it.
Sky vibration would be air or electricity. That means wind ocillations or lighting. static electricity creates lightning and just before a lighting strike, rocks will vibrate like a tuning fork or a church bell that has just been rung. Wind vibration might possibly be created by unusual geometry of a depression or bowl. I’ve experienced it in a sports arena/bowl before. It would be like blowing over the end of a tube or water glass to produce a tone. Death valley is a bowl if Im not mistaken.
Ever seen a stationary object on a flat surface run like a cockroach when there is vibration? This is what is moving these rocks.
Now, where is my reward?
I think this is wrong. I think the racetrack is one of the features on the floor of Death Valley.
It is wrong. The USGS says the racetrack is 3,714 feet above sea level.
It is part of Death Valley National Park, not part of Death Valley.
I’ll send you my old electric football game. Some of the players are severely injured, but it still runs the flying wedge pretty good.
Hip Hop Gnome
He be a playa.
Lol. I’ve often wondered about this phenomenon.
Love the bling! LOL!
I have been to the Race Track many times. It is located on the far west side of the Death Valley NP. All down hill to the Park HQ’s on the valley floor.
I wonder if you can place bets on which ones are moving the fastest.
“So put some GPS units on the rocks and have them send hourly data to the satellite. Shouldn’t take too long to figure this out.”
Either that or just set up some video cams that have night vision (with batteries that can be recharged by the Sun) and set it up like you do for any time lapse photography. Don’t forget to set up a weather station to record changes in weather minute by minute.
You could find out if it is wind just by putting a dome over a few of the rocks and watching those close up.
It really should not be that difficult to find out, right? Or do the gnomes move the rocks when no one is looking?
I’m sure a Las Vegas will be able to set up some sort of program to accomplish your request.
I personally believe that ice sheet, high winds, and the wet clay of the lake bed cause the rocks to move.
I you want to see “remote” the Race Track will fulfill that desire to the 10th degree!
Why?
Come on, these are pet rocks that have been released into the wild. Mystery solved.
Anyone who has played with cornstarch paste knows how weirdly a solid/liquid suspension can behave. I have no problem at all believing that the proper combination of normal weather phenomenon, and mud, could cause the rocks to slide all over the place.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.