Science is Magic

41

SOLVING THE PUZZLE

Scientists found that shallow ponds

sometimes formed on the desert floor

and froze at night. As the ice began to

melt in the sun, it broke into large sheets

that floated on the water. When the wind

blew, the ice—and the rocks trapped

inside it—moved across the slippery mud.

DEATH VALLEY STONES

“Sailing stones” are found in parts of the desert

where the ground is very smooth and flat, like

Death Valley in California. Here, puzzled

scientists eventually solved the mystery by

attaching devices to the rocks to track their

position. They also set up time-lapse cameras

that showed the rocks moving across the sand.

MUD

ROCK

ICE

WIND

WATE R

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