The mystery of the sailing stones, found in places like Death Valley, has puzzled people for over a century. First observed in the early 1900s, these rocks move across the desert floor on their own, leaving long trails behind. For decades, scientists and explorers wondered how it was possible, with theories ranging from wind to magnetic forces.
In the 1940s, serious study began, but it wasn’t until 2014 that the mystery was finally solved. Researchers used time-lapse cameras and GPS to discover that a thin layer of ice forms under the rocks at night. As the ice begins to melt and the wind blows, the stones slowly glide across the surface, leaving those signature tracks.
This once-baffling phenomenon shows how nature can surprise us, with simple forces like ice and wind combining to create something that seems almost magical.
