There is a remote playa in Death Valley National Park nicknamed “The Racetrack“. On this broad, flat, mud playa rocks move and leave trails in the mud. I visited The Racetrack with two of my sons in March, 2013. At that time no one knew how the rocks moved and no one had ever seen them move. I often wondered why someone had not put up video cameras to monitor the playa and observe the movement. I suppose the remoteness of the area, the lack of continuous power for a camera system and park regulations had prevented this. But, eventually, researchers did just that and finally discovered the secret of how the rocks moved in December, 2013, two years after the study began.
The most prevailing theory of how the rocks moved, prior to that research, was that strong winds moved these heavy rocks across the playa, when it was wet, since the mud is very slippery after a rain. This seemed like a stretch, but winds can be very strong in the wide open valley where the playa is located.
The details of the experiment that revealed the secret of the rocks’ movement can be found on the NPS website.
The experiment also revealed why there are track with no rocks at their ends. Previously, everyone thought that rocks had been removed by visitors from such tracks. Be sure to visit the NPS website via the link above to read about this experiment and the discovery of the real way the rocks move. This might serve to illustrate that scientific theories are not always correct and have to be verified by actual experimentation and observation. So whenever you hear those famous words “scientific consensus is that…”, please bear in mind that until there is actual proof, a theory or consensus of thought is just speculation.
If you visit this area, please heed the warning on the NPS website, regarding the long drive to get here, safety precautions and do not venture onto the playa when it is muddy. We saw evidence of people disregarding these warnings and prohibitions. There were footprints and tire trails, obviously made when it was muddy, in the playa. These defacing scars will last for a very long time in the desert, ruining the natural appeal of this area.
Thanks for reading,
Ken