Racetrack Playa
E46667
Racetrack Playa is a dry lakebed in Death Valley National Park famous for its mysteriously moving "sailing stones" that leave long tracks across the cracked desert surface.
Statements (48)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
dry lakebed
ⓘ
geological formation ⓘ playa ⓘ |
| access | via Racetrack Valley Road ⓘ |
| bestObservationCondition | after rare precipitation events ⓘ |
| bestObservationSeason | winter ⓘ |
| climate |
desert
ⓘ
extremely arid ⓘ |
| elevation | approximately 1130 meters above sea level ⓘ |
| famousFor |
mysteriously moving rocks
ⓘ
sailing stones that leave long tracks ⓘ |
| geologicalProcess |
episodic flooding
ⓘ
evaporation leaving clay-rich surface ⓘ |
| hasNearbyFeature |
The Grandstand
ⓘ
Ubehebe Crater ⓘ
surface form:
Ubehebe Crater (regional access point)
|
| hasNotableFeature |
sailing stones
ⓘ
stone tracks ⓘ |
| hasOfficialProtection | National Park Service management ⓘ |
| hazard |
extreme heat in warmer months
ⓘ
tire damage risk on access road ⓘ |
| length | approximately 4.5 kilometers ⓘ |
| liesAtBaseOf | Cottonwood Mountains ⓘ |
| locatedIn |
California, United States
ⓘ
surface form:
California
Death Valley National Park (partial) ⓘ
surface form:
Death Valley National Park
Inyo County, California NERFINISHED ⓘ United States of America ⓘ
surface form:
United States
|
| movementExplanation |
rock motion occurs when playa is wet and partially frozen
ⓘ
thin ice sheets driven by light winds move rocks across wet playa surface ⓘ |
| nameOrigin | elongated, track-like shape of the playa ⓘ |
| partOf |
Basin and Range Province
ⓘ
Panamint Range ⓘ
surface form:
Panamint Mountains
|
| photographyInterest | landscape photography ⓘ |
| protectedAreaStatus | within a U.S. national park ⓘ |
| requiresVehicleType | high-clearance vehicle recommended ⓘ |
| roadType | unimproved gravel road ⓘ |
| rockComposition | mainly dolomite and syenite ⓘ |
| rockSource | surrounding hills and outcrops ⓘ |
| scientificInterest |
geomorphology research
ⓘ
study of natural rock motion ⓘ |
| shape | elongated oval ⓘ |
| subjectToRegulation |
driving on playa surface is prohibited
ⓘ
removal of rocks is prohibited ⓘ |
| surfaceType |
mud-cracked clay
ⓘ
playa sediment ⓘ |
| tourismType | geotourism destination ⓘ |
| trackOrientation | often roughly parallel ⓘ |
| trackPattern | long, straight or curving furrows in playa surface ⓘ |
| width | approximately 2 kilometers ⓘ |
Referenced by (2)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.