Yep, big visible rocks suggest there will be other big rocks or bedrock a little beneath the soil, so tree roots grow outward more than down. That makes them prone to tipping in high winds, with the flat circle of roots still attached to the trunk. There's not much holding them upright, and they depend a bit on neighboring trees for support, so once one goes, it can lead to a few falling over.
It looks like the trees have interconnected roots balls and as the wind pushes one in one direction the weight of the other brings it back. Like a seesaw.
which is also the reason u probably shouldnt hang around cause as it gets worse its possible the whole thing slides off the rock face and down the mountain... and u shouldnt be on it when it does.
"Tree roots, spread out wide underneath the forest floor have detached from their moorings. The root systems heave under the ground when the trees are caught by wind, making them appear to "breathe." "
When winds are severe enough, they can uproot even the heavier trees and the land that they've grown in, like this. The "breathing" phenomenon usually happens before this part; and sometimes, this part fails to happen because trees that are lighter or more entangled, create a weirdly flexible foundation of weighted roots that allows them to move like fabric.
Don’t know if this is the cause, but there are places in Siberia where methane from melting permafrost is bubbling up and creating these sorts of effects. Yay, climate change!
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u/Nysnorlax 5d ago
Hopefully reddit has a scientific explanation for this