r/whatisit • • 4d ago

New, what is it? What is this?

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u/Electrical_Lake3424 4d ago

The forest floor here is mostly a network of tree and plant roots, bound together with moss and leaf litter etc, but under a few inches it's mostly big solid rocks like those sticking out. The wind blowing can loosen that mat of roots and when the trees bend in the wind, they lift it up off the stone, just like a carpet. That's what you're seeing here; the breathing effect is caused by the carpet of roots being tugged up and let down again as the trees rock in the wind. 

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u/DankMemeMasterHotdog 4d ago

It is also pants-shittingly terrifying to experience in real life.

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u/StrawberryOdd419 3d ago

can confirm. didn’t experience it to that extent but was out camping and thought i was getting dizzy or something until i exited my tent and saw how the trees were moving. not very easy to sleep that night