Picture of the day - June 16, 2008

A sliding rock on Racetrack Playa

Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net. One of the world's most intriguing geological mysteries involves the force used to make the sliding rocks of Racetrack Playa, well...slide. While it's quite obvious that these massive rocks indeed slide across the virtually level ground, no one has ever actually witnessed one of these events. The prevailing theory is that runoff water from the nearby mountains makes the soil on the playa "floor" soft and slippery, making it possible for a stiff wind to push the rocks across the earth - quite a task given the fact that many of these rocks weigh in at several hundred pounds each!   Click here to comment on this picture.   Visit the POTD Archives for previous "Pictures Of The Day"!     Submit a photo of your own!                                 Place the "Picture of the Day" on your website, for free! Why I publish the "Picture of the Day"