’Fairy circles’ found in Western Australia may have solved an old mystery

The enigmatic circles of sand – burnt orange, almost impeccably round and rimmed by a fringe of tall grass – are spaced at surprisingly regular intervals across the otherwise barren landscape. Over the course of decades, they appear, expand and then fade, almost as if they had a life cycle of their own.

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CrazyNeutrino said:

’Fairy circles’ found in Western Australia may have solved an old mystery

The enigmatic circles of sand – burnt orange, almost impeccably round and rimmed by a fringe of tall grass – are spaced at surprisingly regular intervals across the otherwise barren landscape. Over the course of decades, they appear, expand and then fade, almost as if they had a life cycle of their own.

more…

I have never seen anything as regular as those bare patches, but in drier regions similar bare areas are not uncommon and are commonly caused by an impervious barrier like granite or limestone below the surface. This means any moisture in these shallower zones with a sandy overlay, will quickly lose moisture (after infrequent rainfall), so other vegetation cannot take hold.

PermeateFree said:

CrazyNeutrino said:

’Fairy circles’ found in Western Australia may have solved an old mystery

The enigmatic circles of sand – burnt orange, almost impeccably round and rimmed by a fringe of tall grass – are spaced at surprisingly regular intervals across the otherwise barren landscape. Over the course of decades, they appear, expand and then fade, almost as if they had a life cycle of their own.

more…

I have never seen anything as regular as those bare patches, but in drier regions similar bare areas are not uncommon and are commonly caused by an impervious barrier like granite or limestone below the surface. This means any moisture in these shallower zones with a sandy overlay, will quickly lose moisture (after infrequent rainfall), so other vegetation cannot take hold.

claypans are similar.

CrazyNeutrino said:

’Fairy circles’ found in Western Australia may have solved an old mystery

The enigmatic circles of sand – burnt orange, almost impeccably round and rimmed by a fringe of tall grass – are spaced at surprisingly regular intervals across the otherwise barren landscape. Over the course of decades, they appear, expand and then fade, almost as if they had a life cycle of their own.

more…

> Namibian circles
David Attenborough mentions these in one of his documentaries, saying that all proposed explanations have already been rejected.