Natural gas theory may dispel myth of fairy circles

BOTANISTS from the University of Pretoria believe they have solved the mystery of the Namibian “fairy circles” – also known as “fairy rings” – that have baffled many SA scientists for about a quarter of a century.

They occur in the desert regions of SA in a north to south belt, roughly parallel to the coastline from Angola in the north, through Namibia into SA.

Sized from about 10m in diameter in the north of Namibia to less than 3m in the south, they are found on sandy plains where vegetation is scarce.

Over the last two decades, scientists and local bushmen have attributed several possible causes for the rings. The region’s bushmen have traditionally attributed magical and spiritual powers to these rings, whereas scientists have attributed everything from termite activity, poisoning from toxic indigenous plants, contamination from radioactive minerals and even ostrich dust baths as possible causes.

But now, after researching and writing about the topic for more than ten years, Professor Gretel van Rooyen, the University of Pretoria’s professor of botany, and her team, consisting of Professor Egmont Rohwer of the chemistry department and doctoral chemistry student Yvette Naude, have come to the conclusion that the circles are caused by natural gases in the earth that displace soil moisture and cause the circles.

The team has found that natural gases are the reason vegetation doesn’t grow inside the circles.

They have also discovered “baby circles” – smaller rings with yellowed or dead grass inside them, formed by the larger fairy circles.

The researchers are not sure where the natural gases come from, but they are sure there is a substantial amount of water inside the circles.

Mike Picker from the University of Cape Town zoology department has disagreed with these findings, saying there is insufficient evidence to prove it is actually natural gas that causes these rings and, according to him, the mystery is still to be solved.