Namib Desert: how are the mysterious hollow circles between the grasses formed? Scientists already know!
The Namib Desert is known, among other things, for the regular occurrence of barren patches among the grasses there. Why does nothing grow in them? The study rejected one of the known theories.
Stretching across Angola, Namibia and South Africa, the Namib Desert is an important place on the world map of tungsten, salt and diamond mining. For the harsh climate, the amount of grasses growing in the area is impressive. However, scientists were interested not in the green areas, but in the empty patches. No vegetation can be found on them.
The barren circles range from about 3 to 19 meters in diameter. The authors of the study, published in the scientific journal Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics, noted the “unusual degree of spatial order” of the patches. They can be observed across the entire width of the Namib Desert.
Namib desert: how are the hollow circles between grasses formed?
Like many other interesting phenomena in nature, the circles in the Namib Desert also have a mythical patch attached to them. Scientists, however, point to rational explanations. The first theory says that the fields are formed because of termites…
