Origin of self-moving rocks in Death valley

Self-moving rocks can appear hundreds of millions of years ago, sliding on the surface when the ice melted in the early Jurassic.

The rock moves on its own in the Death valley.(Photo: Wikipedia).

Palaeontologist Paul Olsen of Columbia University and colleagues discovered the earliest evidence of self-moving rocks millions of years ago. They publish the research at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union.

The self-moving rocks confound geologists for a long time because they seem to slide across the desert, leaving long trenches without human or animal intervention. The dry lake Racetrack Lake in California's Death Valley is famous for its numerous stones. Researchers believe that ice, wind and even bacteria can be the cause of heavy rocks moving.

The grooves of a stone move by themselves leaving dinosaur footprints.(Photo: Sun).

Olsen's team found the groove left behind by the rock itself in intact fossil dinosaur footprints dating back 200 million years. They observed long streaks between the footprints of prehistoric animals. This evidence is consistent with the theory of the short ice-cold period in the early Jurassic period, the ice-shifting rocks formed after the entire flooded area. They slide along the ice as the ice melts, creating a mud ditch that dries and hardens over time.

The researchers conclude that ice is the most likely cause, because dinosaur footprints do not provide evidence related to bacteria.

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