Map of hundreds of 'fairy circles' seen from space

Experts used satellite images and AI to map 263 strange circular structures that appeared in 15 countries on 3 continents.

NamibRand Nature Reserve with fairy circles. Photo: Stephan Getzin — NamibRand Nature Reserve with fairy circles. Photo: *Stephan Getzin*

The arid lands of Namibia and Australia are home to mysterious circular plant structures surrounded by bare ground that have puzzled scientists for decades. These strange structures are called “fairy circles.” A new study published in the journal PNAS on September 25 hopes to provide new information about their formation and location.

"There are several hypotheses regarding the formation of fairy circles, for example that they originate from the self-organization of vegetation. Social insects such as termites, which build their nests at certain distances from each other, can also form fairy circles. Another hypothesis points to the toxic latex of Euphorbia - a genus of succulent plants," said Emilio Guirado, an expert at the University of Alicante in Spain, a member of the research team.

Previously, scientists had only confirmed the presence of fairy circles in Namibia and Australia. "We wondered if fairy circles existed in more places than those observed in Namibia and Australia. So we set up an artificial intelligence (AI)-based model to observe hundreds of thousands of hectares from space," Guirado said.

Ultimately, Guirado and his colleagues identified 263 fairy circles in 15 countries on three continents. Further analysis revealed similarities in environmental conditions at these sites, such as aridity, temperature, low soil nutrients, and high sand content. However, there were also some differences between the sites, suggesting that fairy circles may form in different ways in different locations.

Map of hundreds of 'fairy circles' seen from space — Map of fairy circles seen from space. Video: *Newsweek*

"I think the world can be complex and all the hypotheses about fairy circle formation may play a role, depending on where or when. They may all be valid where they are studied, and some hypotheses may work together in certain places. For example, our results show that termites are more important in Namibia than in Australia or the Sahel," Guirado explains.

More research is needed to confirm these hypotheses. Guirado hopes that the global map of fairy circles they created will be useful for future research.

"We hope that the information we publish in our study can provide scientists around the world with new research directions that help solve the puzzles of fairy circle formation. For example, this information could open up opportunities for research into how fairy circles can be a sign of ecosystem degradation due to climate change," Guirado said.

Thu Thao (According to Newsweek )

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