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How do the enigmatic fairy circles in Africa and Australia come about?
UFOs, cosmic rays, meteorites or simply magic - there are many different theories about the enigmatic fairy circles in the Namib Desert in southern Africa and Australia. Down-to-earth explanations have blamed poisonous milkweed, rising gases or termites. Researchers have been trying to decipher what is really behind the mysterious natural phenomenon since the early 1970s. Now a research team from Göttingen has apparently solved the puzzle.
Uniform circles of barren earth are drawn into the grass landscape at regular intervals - as far as the eye can see. Fairy circles are among the most extraordinary and puzzling natural events. An international research team with the participation of the University of Göttingen has now revealed the secret of the fairy circles with the help of the latest technology. The research results were recently presented in the specialist journal "Ecosphere".
Searching for a solution with a drone and shovel
Armed with a drone and shovel, the research team examined the fairy circles east of the Australian mining town of Newman. The circles were only discovered in 2014 and extend over an area of twelve kilometers. Although the fairy circles in Namibia are around 10,000 kilometers away, the circles in Africa and Australia show an identical spatial pattern.
Termites not responsible
The most common theory of the formation of circles is that termites are responsible for the circular gaps. Using drones, the researchers compared vegetation gaps that have been proven to come from termites with the gaps in the fairy circles and took soil samples. "The vegetation gaps caused by harvest dates are only about half the size of the fairy circles and significantly less ordered," reports Dr. Stephan Getzin from the University of Göttingen in a press release on the study results. In addition, in most cases, no underground termite nests were found within the Australian fairy circles. The data collected by the researchers spoke against a causal connection to underground termite structures.
The circles create extreme weather conditions
The soil investigations showed that there is a high proportion of clay in the area of the fairy circles. A high level of soil compaction was also found within the circles. The researchers blame the extreme weather conditions in the areas for the phenomenon. A combination of mechanical weathering, heavy rain events, cyclones and evaporation due to extreme heat ultimately lead to the natural spectacle. The researchers consider the fairy circles to be an abiotic process, i.e. a process in which no animal or plant is involved.
More fairy circles sighted
Apparently, the unusual arrangement of the circles has confused investigations over the past 50 years. Because the research team found numerous other "fairy circles" in atypical surroundings and with other forms. These include huge circles with a diameter of more than 20 meters, chain-like to oval surfaces or drainage lines with a length of more than 30 meters. But still not all questions about the fairy circles have been answered. In a further study, the researchers want to examine the formation and maintenance of the fairy circles in more detail. (vb)
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