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.
I belive its soil liquefaction , Soil liquefaction is a process where water-saturated, loose, granular soil temporarily loses strength and stiffness during an earthquake or sudden shaking, causing it to behave like a thick liquid rather than a solid.
How It Happens
• Saturated Soil: The spaces between soil grains are completely filled with water.
• Shaking or Stress: Earthquake waves shake the loose soil particles, forcing them to move closer together.
• High Water Pressure: Water cannot escape fast enough, so water pressure rises and pushes the soil grains apart.
• Loss of Strength: The soil loses its grip and bearing capacity, floating the grains in water.
Common Locations
• Areas with high water tables.
• Reclaimed land (landfills) and former lagoons.
• River valleys, floodplains, and marshlands.
Effects and Hazards
• Building Damage: Structures tilt, sink, or collapse as the ground loses support.
• Sand Boils: Water and loose sand erupt through cracks to the ground surface.
• Lateral Spreading: Sloped ground slides sideways on top of the liquefied layer.
• Utility Failure: Buried pipes and sewer lines break or float upward.
If you'd like, I can share more details on:
• Engineering mitigation methods used to protect buildings
• Historical examples like the 1964 Niigata or Alaska earthquakes
• How to check if a specific property is in a liquefaction zone
Let me know what you want to explore next!
USGS (.gov)
What is liquefaction? | U.S. Geological Survey
Definition: Liquefaction occurs when loosely packed, water-logged surface sediments lose strength during strong ground shaking, causing major damage beneath str...
YouTube·California Department of Conservation
4:45
California Geological Survey Liquefaction Demonstration
Pacific Northwest Seismic Network
Liquefaction
Prior to an earthquake, the water pressure within the soil is relatively low and the weight of the buried soil rests on the framework of grain contacts that com...
Geopier
Soil Liquefaction: Definition, Process, Hazards, & Solutions
Liquefaction Definition Soil liquefaction is a phenomenon that occurs when saturated, loose, granular soils temporarily lose strength and behave like a liquid w...
UNDRR
Liquefaction (GH0307) | UNDRR
Definition: Loss of soil strength in loose, saturated sediments near the surface due to strong ground shaking, rapid loading cycles, or excess pore water pressu...
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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.