Declining rock movement at Racetrack Playa, Death Valley National Park: An indicator of climate change?
Abstract
We have inspected Racetrack Playa at Death Valley over the last 7 years and have not observed major episodes of rock movement and trail generation. We compare this null observation with the literature record of the rock movement using a Monte Carlo method and find 4-to-1 odds that the rock movement probability has systematically declined. This statistically significant drop in movement rate may indicate a change in the probability of the required conditions for movement: we note decline in the occurrence of strong winds and in ice-forming cold in nearby weather records. Rock movement and trail formation may serve as an indicator of climate change.
- Publication:
-
Geomorphology
- Pub Date:
- April 2014
- DOI:
- 10.1016/j.geomorph.2013.12.034
- Bibcode:
- 2014Geomo.211..116L