10 Unsolved Mysteries That May Have Finally Been Solved
8. The Sailing Stones Of Death Valley
In the hottest and driest corner of the Mojave Desert known as Death Valley, there exists stones which move and leave behind them trails seemingly entirely on their own with no living help or intervention. First observed in the early 1900s, these rocks are able to move on entirely flat land, with many early observers believing them to be moved by occasional strong gusts of wind. Another peculiar and eerie detail is that no one has ever seen the rocks move in person.
However, in 2014, thanks to advancements in technology scientists were able to use time lapse photography and capture the movement of these stones on camera for the very first time over a period of several months. They then discovered what so far is the best possible explanation for the peculiar movements.
It turned out that every time it rained in the region during Winter - which in itself is a rare occurrence - a small pond was created which would then freeze and form tiny sheets of ice only a few millimetres thick. These ice sheets, along with a light wind, would then gently push the stones along, creating the eerie movements and their trails.