Cool compilation of very mysterious places on earth.

[Altarboy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUu23iDCNTo

One that always gets me is the pic of the rocks that have travelled along the desert floor and left trails.

[az_paul]

That was great! My wife and I enjoyed it very much. Thanks for sharing!

[El Jefe]

As impressive as Stonehenge is, especially in person, I found Avebury, which is just down the road a ways, to be in many ways even more impressive. If for no other reason, the scale in which they worked tells you they were very serious about its construction.

Oh and the skating rocks in death valley, they're caused by wind during the winter/wet season.

[Altarboy]

Wind blows the rocks across the ground? Odd.

[weevil]

Wind blows the rocks across the ground? Odd.



Yeah that's the generally accepted theory, but no one has ever actually seen it happen.

[El Jefe]

Wind blows the rocks across the ground? Odd.

Only when the valley floor is covered in either ice or mud. The wind and rocks need a lubricant. ;)

[nitewatcherXX]

that was great thanks for the post :)

[Warthogg]

Excellent and thank you for sharing.


Wart

[tank_monkey]

Wind blows the rocks across the ground? Odd.

The constant wind does NOT move the heavy rocks during the dry season. When it rains there is just enough water that seeps in under the boulders to make it move a very small amount (like a fraction of an inch) during a constant wind. These rocks have been moving micrometers in one directions for many years. it's so slow that no one has seen it in person, nor can they, unless they put a timed exposure camera on ONE rock and run it for months..... :D

[weevil]

http://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/images/Racetrack---09_1.gif


I dunno seems kinda odd that something moving that slow would leave a trail like like.

[tank_monkey]

http://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/images/Racetrack---09_1.gif


I dunno seems kinda odd that something moving that slow would leave a trail like like.

The ground never changes. Those cracks have been the same for years. I've been there. The ground is REALLY hard.

[weevil]

The ground never changes. Those cracks have been the same for years. I've been there. The ground is REALLY hard.


Could be, it is a really strange occurence and the wind and water theory just doesn't sound right to me.


Of course I can't offer up any better explanations so I guess we'll just have to accept it, at least until somebody comes up with a better theory.

:biggrina:

[tank_monkey]

Could be, it is a really strange occurence and the wind and water theory just doesn't sound right to me.


Of course I can't offer up any better explanations so I guess we'll just have to accept it, at least until somebody comes up with a better theory.

:biggrina:

It might help to remember that WIND, WATER and TIME are the three biggest factors in the formation of geological oddities on EARTH. :D I don't think anyone questions that over long periods of time, WIND and WATER will change everything.

Example of wind erosion:
http://www.discovermoab.com/images/arches/a01.jpg

Example of water erosion:
http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/000/004/cache/alarcon-terrace_423_600x450.jpg

[weevil]

Well erosion is one thing, rocks sailling around in the wind on a dry/semi-moist lake bed is quite another.

If this were a normal example of simple erosion we'd see other examples in other places around the world.

Whatever the reason may be this is very unique and the only place in the world where this is known to occur.


Normally rocks just sink in mud, not sail around on the top.


Another problem I have with this explanation is if the wind is strong enough to move the rocks why doesn't it blow away the trails?

[Kadmos]

Normally rocks just sink in mud, not sail around on the top.

But rocks can also "grow" from the ground, ask any farmer.