In Namibia, there is a "magic circle"

In the sandy deserts of Namibia in southern Africa is a mysterious bare spots, known as "magic circles" that form and disappear in a few years for an unknown reason. Although scientists have not yet unraveled the riddle of magic circle, they can already say that they are "alive." Locals believe that the tens of thousands of bare soil formations, from 2 hdo 12 meters in diameter, surrounded by grass, are the traces of the gods.

Walter Tschinkel of Florida State University in the United States, who recently conducted a study of this strange phenomenon, discovered the magic circle in 2005, when he visited the reserve in Namibia, and the guide introduced him these extraordinary earthen formation. The first assumption of the scientist became termites that can destroy the grass below, or gases, poisonous vegetation. But when a few years later, he conducted excavations laps, he found no trace of the presence of termites. Other experiments in which added nutrients and replaced the soil, also yielded no results, and the vegetation has not returned. It is proven that education does not result from a lack of nutrients.





Then the scientists turned to satellite imagery. They compared photos taken in 4 years, and found something interesting. Circles alive, or at least dynamic. During this period, a number of communities have disappeared and there. Based on the available data, the researchers calculated that the smallest circles appear and disappear every 24 years, while the larger "live" for about 75 years. The average life expectancy is 41 years circles.

It turned out that the circles are formed only on sandy soil with minimal stony. They are not formed on the moving dunes or cones, where the sand settles out of the water.

Some experiments still continue to carry out, but so far, nothing explains the origin of the "magic circle».

via factroom.ru