The Story

GPS-instrumented rock with its rock trail.The GPS unit with its battery pack is inserted into a cavity bored into the top of the rock. The GPS continuously logs its position after a switch is triggered by the stone moving away from a magnet set in the playa. The surface of the playa is frozen in this image, but the ice had melted or was floating when the trail formed. Image by Mike Hartmann.
GPS-instrumented rock with its rock trail. Image by Mike Hartmann.

“…Rock movement has been variously attributed to high winds, liquid water, ice, or ice flotation, but has not been previously observed in action. We recorded the first direct scientific observation of rock movements using GPS-instrumented rocks and photography, in conjunction with a weather station and time-lapse cameras. ”
From the introduction to our paper on PLOS|One