A combination of wind and ice can move a 300 kg rock across the ground
the verdict
INSUFFICIENT LEANING
refutedsupported
the weight of evidence
2 sources for · 0 against
The available literature documents that wind and floating ice sheets can move sailing stones across desert playas, but the sources do not specifically verify the claim that a 300 kg rock can be moved.
Abstract. Trails in the usually-hard mud of Racetrack Playa in Death Valley National Park attest to the seemingly-improbable movement of massive rocks on an exceptionally flat surface. The movement of these rocks, previously described as "sliding stones", "playa scrapers", "sailing stones" etc., has been the subject of speculation for almost a century but is an exceptionally rare phenomenon and until now has not been directly observed. Here we report documentation of multiple rock movement and trail formation events in the winter of 2013–2014 by in situ observation, video, timelapse cameras, a dedicated meteorological station and GPS tracking of instrumented rocks. Movement involved dozens of rocks, forming fresh trails typically of 10s of meters length at speeds of ~5 cm s−1 and were caused by wind stress on a transient thin layer of floating ice. Fracture and local thinning of the ice decouples some rocks from the ice movement, such that only a subset of rocks move in a given event.
Imagine rocks gliding across a desert floor, leaving trails behind them. This strange phenomenon has puzzled scientists for decades. These “ sailing stones ” move without human or animal interference, relying on nature’s forces. Thin ice sheets, formed on cold nights, act as slippery sails. Wind pushes these sheets, while water creates a slick surface, allowing stones to glide smoothly . Researchers have even tracked stones traveling over 224 meters in one winter , proving how rare and fascinating this event is.
The Mystery of Moving Sailing Stones | Zenodo Skip to main You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience. Published June 30, 2025 | Version v1 Journal article Open The Mystery of Moving Sailing Stones Authors/Creators Neha Adikane Description Imagine rocks gliding across a desert floor, leaving trails behind them. This strange phenomenon has puzzled scientists for decades. These “ sailing stones ” move without human or animal interference, relying on nature’s forces. Thin ice sheets, formed on cold nights, act as slippery sails. Wind pushes these sheets, while water creates a slick surface, allowing stones to glide smoothly .
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