Racetrack Playa
| Racetrack Playa | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Location |
Death Valley National Park Inyo County, California |
| Coordinates | 36°40′53″N 117°33′46″W / 36.6813°N 117.5627°WCoordinates: 36°40′53″N 117°33′46″W / 36.6813°N 117.5627°W |
| Lake type | Endorheic basin |
| Primary outflows | Terminal (evaporation) |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Max. length | 4.5 km (2.8 mi) |
| Max. width | 2 km (1.2 mi) |
| Surface area | 7 km2 (2.7 sq mi) |
| Shore length1 | 12 km (7.5 mi) |
| Surface elevation | 1,132 m (3,714 ft) |
| References | U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: The Racetrack |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
The Racetrack Playa, or The Racetrack, is a scenic dry lake feature with "sailing stones" that inscribe linear "racetrack" imprints. It is located above the northwestern side of Death Valley, in Death Valley National Park, Inyo County, California, U.S..
The Racetrack Playa is 3,714 feet (1,132 m) above sea level, and 2.8 mi (4.5 km) long (north-south) by 1.3 mi (2.1 km) wide (east-west). The playa is exceptionally flat and level with the northern end being only 1.5 inches (4 cm) higher than the southern. This occurrence is due to major influx of fine-grained sediment that accumulates at the north end. The highest point surrounding the Racetrack is the 5,678 feet (1731 m) high Ubehebe Peak, rising 1,964 feet (599 m) above the lakebed 0.85 mile (1.37 km) to the west.
The playa is in the small Racetrack Valley endorheic basin between the Cottonwood Mountains on the east and Nelson Range to the west. During periods of heavy rain, water washes down from the Racetrack mountain area draining into the playa, forming a shallow, short-lived endorheic lake. Under the hot desert sun, the thin veneer of water quickly evaporates leaving behind a surface layer of soft slick mud. As the mud dries, it shrinks and cracks into a mosaic pattern of interlocking polygons.
The shape of the shallow hydrocarbon lake Ontario Lacus on Saturn's moon Titan has been compared to that of Racetrack Playa.
Racetrack is dry for almost the entire year and has no vegetation. When dry, its surface is covered with small but firm hexagonal mud crack polygons that are typically 3 to 4 inches (7.5 to 10 cm) in diameter and about an inch (2.5 cm) thick. The polygons form in sets of three mud cracks at 120° to each other. A few days after a precipitation event, small mud curls, otherwise known as “corn flakes” form on the playa surface. Absence of these indicates that wind or another object has scraped away the tiny mud curls.
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Wikipedia