A mystery in the world's oldest desert - enjoy!

[malaise]

Last edited Fri Sep 6, 2019, 12:10 PM - Edit history (1)

http://www.bbc.com/travel/gallery/20190827-a-mystery-in-the-worlds-oldest-desert

[Hortensis]

1. I did, thanks!

[blogslut]

2. Very cool

Thanks!

[Floyd R. Turbo]

3. One of the coolest places I've ever visited!

[dewsgirl]

4. Thank you, fascinating.

[hunter]

5. You can delete all the stuff after the question mark...

http://www.bbc.com/travel/gallery/20190827-a-mystery-in-the-worlds-oldest-desert

The stuff after the question mark is often used as a tracking device.

A secure link like this also works for many pages if you don't trust someone in the middle to modify or eavesdrop on the pages you are looking at.

https://www.bbc.com/travel/gallery/20190827-a-mystery-in-the-worlds-oldest-desert

It's a very interesting article.

Thanks.

[malaise]

6. Thanks

[mcar]

7. Cool!

[RestoreAmerica2020]

8. Thank you! Thoroughly fascinating..."geomorphic phenomenon that continues to baffle experts."

File to: Africa -Namib Desert

Excerpt
Geography and people: The Namib Desert is one of the driest places on Earth. Meaning "an area where there is nothing" in the local Nama language

While experts are mystified by the cause of these "fairy" formations, the circles have long been known to local Namibians. The local Himba people believe they are caused by spirits, and are footprints left by their god, Mukuru."

Scientific theories: At the Gobabeb - Namib Research Institute, [Eugene Marais] explained that the two major theories stem from the scarcity of water in the Namib. Some research suggests the circles are caused by termites, which create these circles in order to harvest water and nutrients from the ground. By clearing vegetation from the land, the termites create a barren space in the soil, which allows rainfall to seep deeper into the earth. The theory suggests that termites stay hydrated by drinking from these underground reservoirs year-round.