Mystery solved (with GPS): How “sailing stones” move across a dry lakebed

For over a century, Death Valley's Racetrack Playa mystified observers with rocks leaving long trails. In 2013, researchers finally captured the phenomenon, revealing that thin ice sheets, propelled by gentle winds over a shallow water layer, nudged the heavy stones. This rare combination of factors, previously unobserved, explained the 'sailing stones' enigma.