Mysterious African 'Fairy Circles' Stump Scientists

Source

In the sandy desert grasslands of Namibia in southern Africa, mysterious bare spots known as "fairy circles" will form and then disappear years later for no reason anyone can determine. A new look at these strange patterns doesn't solve the wistful mystery but at least reveals that the largest of the circles can linger for a lifetime.

Small fairy circles stick around an average of 24 years, while larger ones can exist as long as 75 years, according to research detailed today (June 27) in the journal PLoS ONE. Still, the study sheds little light on why the circles form, persist and then vanish into the landscape after decades.

"The why question is very difficult," said study researcher Walter Tschinkel, a biologist at Florida State University. "There are a number of hypotheses on the table, and the evidence for none of them is convincing."

I would post pictures of the circles but I'm on an iPad, and really starting a new thread with links and quotes from another page is hard enough.

Anyway, I found one other thread on this topic, long dead and from 2004, so I thought I would share this as I found myself quite intrigued by these "circles", so I thought I would share.

I wonder what is going on here? It is something paranormal? And I don't mean paranormal as in ghosts, but something out of the normal. Could this be from something natural as in a certain plant species?

Well, as you can see, there are a lot of questions raised by this 'discovery' and hopefully soon we could have some answers.

Any thoughts?

Pred...

Here you go OP. This is the pic from the article you linked...



This is very interesting and I will have to read more on it, Just wanted to get the pic up for you. I am fascinated by fairy lore myself!

After reading the full article, the guy still has no idea what causes these to appear. My first thought was underground builders/nesters as well, but he has apparently ruled that out too. It just makes your imagination go a little wilder knowing what it ISN'T.

I just stumbled across a video of those. It is very interesting. Probably some sort of Geomagnetic energy that causes that anomaly. I guess not many people are interested in finding out what causes them, they are too busy researching things that bring them income.

reply to post by Kangaruex4Ewe


Looks a lot like root damage from grubs ?

i'm thinking some sort of spores from a fungus or mold. Starts in the center and works outward until the organisms lose some critical density. Like a bacterial colony on a culture plate.

Originally posted by jtma508
i'm thinking some sort of spores from a fungus or mold. Starts in the center and works outward until the organisms lose some critical density. Like a bacterial colony on a culture plate.

Bingo....guessing something gets "off" with the phosphates and nitrates in a localized area and some type of moss/fungal/mold type of growth kicks off.

interesting in just looking at the posted pic that there could possibly be some increased growth right at the edges of these circles

i read about those earlier today. it is odd. i'm thinking scientist have looked into the mold/fungus possibility and ruled it out.

When you're flying over reserves or the gulf coast in most places, you'll see this all over the place. Not only this, but the exact same, instead of dirt, water is in it's place.

I used to fly over the gulf coast quite often, and would always wonder why such perfect circles of water or dirt, dotted the landscape like this with no people around for as far as one could see. So yeah, this can be seen often, anytime and pretty much anywhere around the gulf. Whole clear cicles of small perfectly round water holes and perfect barren patches of dirt where thick moist wetland plants and shrubs should be. It's obviously not a lack of water, because where I see this, there is no shortage, fresh and salty. Maybe oil/chemicals comming to the surface in that spot?

It reminds me of the damage a lawn will get where a dog has urinated, down to the denser grass on the perimeter. On a much grander scale obviously.

north america fairy rings are caused by fungi, i wonder if that is the culprit here

It is where lightning has struck, never the same place twice. It sends enough localized energy at and around the strike zone to alter the soil chemistry. Include erosion and time, it creates a dead spot.

zap.

Hey OP do you have any idea where exactly in Namibia these 'fairy circles' are? I would like to see them for myself.

reply to post by Sumerian210kbc


I went to the article and it said they are in the NamibRand Nature Reserve. You can even buy on and watch it on Goolge earth I wonder what they do, will you get your money back after they disappear?

These are barren areas. I went to Belize and climbed a Mayan pyramid. From the top, you could see a couple of circles where the grass was simply a different color. They coudln't explain that either.

Originally posted by BornParadox
It is where lightning has struck, never the same place twice. It sends enough localized energy at and around the strike zone to alter the soil chemistry. Include erosion and time, it creates a dead spot.

zap.

No possible, we would be seein dead/dying grass, and black spots, which we don't see here. So it's can't be lightning strikes.

reply to post by predator0187


I have nothing really to add to the discussion except.....

GO SEMINOLES!

I get excited anytime I see an FSU researcher quoted on ATS! A couple of years ago the Hobbit skeleton was housed here for research and that was pretty exciting too! We also have a very large Mag Lab, and a lot of nano-health research ongoing. Cool school.

Originally posted by BornParadox
It is where lightning has struck, never the same place twice. It sends enough localized energy at and around the strike zone to alter the soil chemistry. Include erosion and time, it creates a dead spot.

zap.

Lightning strikes would serve to improve vegetative growth on soil. Any time lightning strikes it ionizes the air, a byproduct of this is nitrous, which when introduced into the soil allows plant cells to expand and grow at a greater rate.

Because of this, IMO, those circles are not caused by lightning.

Traditionally, fairy circles are circular growths of mushrooms... Fungus. These appear to me to be exactly that, however without knowing what kind of fungus is able to grow in that location, there is no way to be certain.