Mystery of the Fairy Circles

The programme reveals the stunning secrets of the so-called ‘fairy circles’ of the Namib Desert – curious circles on the ground accentuated by abrupt changes in the vegetation pattern.

After heavy rains, the Namib desert gets covered by a thick carpet of grass. But this green down is punctuated by bare circular patches, which appear as though drawn by a compass. And there's not just one or two of them but thousands. Observed from the air the scene could be described as 'Red dots on green ground'. These mysterious sand circles appear at around 60 to 120 kilometres inland from the coast from South Africa to Angola, at an altitude of between 500 and 1000 metres. They are bordered by a ring of tall thick grass, which stands out from the surrounding sparse vegetation. What is so special about these bald patches, which have been given the mysterious name "fairy circles" Are they caused by particular mineral compounds in the ground Did poisonous plants once grow there and have contaminated the subsoil Are they the work of termites Or is it the impact of meteorites This documentary reveals the stunning secret of the fairy circles.