Mystery of 'fairy circles'
They are one of nature's greatest mysteries, prompting local legends they are created by gods and generating wild theories about visits by UFOs. These images show the vast areas that are covered by the mysterious fairy circles that pock the grassy desert of Namibia and why they have captivated the imaginations of visitors to the region.For decades it is a phenomenon which has left scientists stumped.Thousands of barren patches of land several meters wide, known as 'fairy circles', which are found across the Namib Desert in southern Africa for no apparent reason. What are fairy circles? Fairy circles are barren patches of land which can be found across the Namib Desert in southern Africa.They can be 6-40 feet (2-12m) in diameter, are found in the region’s arid grassland on sandy soils.A ring of vegetation around the edge of the ring is taller than the surrounding grassland. The mystery of how they got there, or why they stay there, has stumped scientists for ...