Buried stuff rising to the surface

[AlanB]

Not sure how to explain this question, and certainly not sure of the forum, but let me give some examples and see if it makes sense.

On my property, the previous owners felt that the proper way of getting rid of something was to throw it out back near a tree... Any tree

They must have had a glass factory somewhere near, and a beer bottle factory as well

Anyway, glass and debris continue to rise to the surface and then I pick it up and throw it away, or,,, maybe the surface is going down, leaving the glass, wire, steel at it's original height thereby coming to the top.

Wife puts the dog fence wire slightly buried across the gravel drive, it slowly comes exposed. Is the wire coming up? The gravel going down? The wire repulses the gravel so all the gravel runs away from the intrusive wire?

What is actually happening?

Certainly not going to change the world, but it is curious as all get out to me, there is one tree that I just keep a rake and a drilled bucket beside and every now and then I go out and pick up the glass, rake about a little to find the stuff lurking just under the surface, and pick up more, then leave it a bit, and when I come back (week or two) there will be more glass on the surface. (Maybe the broken glass fairies need somewhere to drop their stuff ) This has been going on now 3+ years so I doubt I am reaching the bottom of my glass mine anytime soon.

Luckily there is a steel mine at the next tree over, the latest thing to come up was a 3/8" steel plate about a foot square............ I hope to keep that area producing like that for a while. :laughing:

 

[brin]

" Tommy knockers, Tommy knockers, knocked last night and twice the night before "

From the Stephen King Movie....." The Tommy Knockers " in that movie it turned out to be a buried UFO with alien creatures who were coming back to life by sapping energy from humans...so be careful...in this day and age ya never know since so much of what used to be science fiction is now coming to pass...think Twilight Zone....:laughing::laughing::thumbsup:

 

[Wacky]

" Tommy knockers, Tommy knockers, knocked last night and twice the night before "

From the Stephen King Movie....." The Tommy Knockers " in that movie it turned out to be a buried UFO with alien creatures who were coming back to life by sapping energy from humans...so be careful...in this day and age ya never know since so much of what used to be science fiction is now coming to pass...think Twilight Zone....:laughing::laughing::thumbsup:

Yeah, just look at our Government:laughing:!

 

[Thomas]

Somewhat common those have heavy frozen/frost grounds,come spring stones,bones,wood,metal etc. appeal..also windy dry year...mother earth kicking back our rubbish.

 

[CurlyDave]

Many, many years ago I read an article which explained this kind of thing.

Essentially, if you have a collection of large objects mixed with small ones, there are many more ways for the small ones to fit under the large ones than vice-versa.

Everyday examples are cans of mixed nuts, where the large ones tend to be on top when you open the can, and the toolbox in your pickup, where large tools migrate to the top and small ones migrate down under the vibration of driving.

This is why rocks come to the surface in areas with freeze-thaw cycles.

The only problem with the theory is that some kind of vibration or other energy input is needed for this to happen. I have no idea where this is coming from in your case...

 

[2manyrocks]

Maybe it's just beneath a thin layer of dirt that is being washed off by rainfall?

After every rain, I see more rocks in the garden.

 

[tallyho8]

Regulations require the landfills here to be covered with 3 feet of packed clay. Nothing less will keep the fill from rising to the surface.

There is an old illegal 10 acre dump not too far away that was only covered with a few inches of soil. It is used as a stable for horses and many hundreds of yards of sand have been added to it to try to cover up the debris that keeps rising but this only delays it a short time.

The parish unknowingly built a road over a section of it 2 years ago that was 50' wide and 200' long and they had to spend an additional $300,000 digging out this area and disposing of the waste before proceeding. This unexpected delay set the project back two months.

 

[jimmyj]

Really big moles?

I hope some more good stuff comes up. Maybe a chest of pirate treasure!

 

[niemeyjt]

I think CurleyDave has identified the problem - I get the same with my muesli - oats and bran flakes at the beginning of the packet and the sugary bits at the end.

Sadly, the solution of shaking the packet of nuts / muesli wont work - but might a stone burier be a solution?

J

 

[SPYDERLK]

Many, many years ago I read an article which explained this kind of thing.

Essentially, if you have a collection of large objects mixed with small ones, there are many more ways for the small ones to fit under the large ones than vice-versa.

Everyday examples are cans of mixed nuts, where the large ones tend to be on top when you open the can, and the toolbox in your pickup, where large tools migrate to the top and small ones migrate down under the vibration of driving.

This is why rocks come to the surface in areas with freeze-thaw cycles.

The only problem with the theory is that some kind of vibration or other energy input is needed for this to happen. I have no idea where this is coming from in your case...

Freeze thaw cycles in the presence of gravity would qualify as a randomizing "vibration". As would traffic along the gravel drive.
larry