Adragonstirsdeepunderadesert.Itbreathesapoisonousgasasitgoes.Thegasbubblesuptothesurface.There,itburnscirclesofbaredirtinthe grass.
Orsoonestorygoes.Noonehasseenthismythicalbeast.YetsomepeopleinsouthernAfricasayit’sthere.It’showtheyexplainmysteriousdirtcirclesthatdottheeasternedgeoftheNamib Desert.
Thousandsofcirclesstretchasfarastheeyecansee.Somearesmall.Othersarewide.Thedragonhasbeen busy.
Searching
foraCause
Scientistsdon’tbelieveindragons.Theybelievesomethingelsecausesthesestrangecircles.Somethinkantschewontherootsofthegrasses.Othersthinkatoxicplantmayspreaditspoisonandkillthe grasses.
Theseideasareonlytheories.Theycouldbepossible.Yetscientistshavetoproveatheory.Onlythenwillatheorybecomea fact.
Mysteriouscirclesstretchasfarastheeyecan see.
Mysteriouscirclesofbaredirtdotthisdesertonthewestcoastofsouthern Africa.
Africa
Namib
Desert
NorbertJuergensandhiswife,Irmel,collectweatherdataneara circle.
DesertDiscoveries
NorbertJuergenswantstosolvethismystery.He’sabiologist.Hestudied1,200ofthe circles.
Juergenslookedforthingsallthecircleshadincommon.Hetestedthedirtandmeasuredwaterinthesoil.Hemadealistofanimalsandplantsinthecircles.Hechartedtheweather.Thenhestudiedhis data.
CommonClues
Juergensfoundsomethingsurprising.Indryweather,thegrassesaroundthecirclesstayedalive.Hewonderedwhy.Thenhefoundwetsandundereachcircle.Thewaterinthesandkeptthegrass alive.
Healsofoundsandtermitesundereachcircle.Waterandtermiteswerethecommonclues.Juergensthoughtaboutthemandformeda theory.
sand termites
MysterySolved?
Juergensthinksthattermiteseatthegrassroots.Thatkillsthegrassandleavesacircleofbare dirt.
Whenrainwatersoaksintothedirt,itformsapoolofwaterundereachcircle.Thetermitesdrinkthiswater.That’showtheysurvive.Grassaroundthecirclesoaksupthewater.That’swhythegrassstaysalive.Maybenowthemysteryis solved!
Aviewfromaboveshows circularpatchesdottingthelandintheNamib Desert.