Bare patches or fairy circles?

Submitted: Tuesday, Mar 15, 2016 at 10:23

ThreadID: 131834 Views:2219 Replies:3 FollowUps:3

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Member - John and Val

Most of us who have travelled into the desert areas have seen these bare patches. Apparently there is a bit more to them than just being bare patches of sand. Fairy Circles in the outback.

Cheers,

Val

J and V
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Reply By: Member - Duncan W (WA) - Tuesday, Mar 15, 2016 at 11:16

Tuesday, Mar 15, 2016 at 11:16

Thanks Val, I've seen similar in the GVD and no doubt they can be found elsewhere.

Dunc
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Reply By: LandCoaster - Wednesday, Mar 16, 2016 at 21:19

Wednesday, Mar 16, 2016 at 21:19

I was surprised how much ho-ha this made in the press... patterns in nature exist everywhere.....maybe people can't see them because there isn't an app, yet...

AnswerID: 597421

Follow Up By: Member - Paul B (WA) - Sunday, Mar 20, 2016 at 14:55

Sunday, Mar 20, 2016 at 14:55

Absolutely! It really shows me that we've reached peak stupidity when people take photos out of planes and draw all manner of bizarre inferences in the national press, when if they actually walked out there they'd see they were simply the centres of old spinnifex bushes.

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Follow Up By: Member - Boobook - Tuesday, Mar 22, 2016 at 06:31

Tuesday, Mar 22, 2016 at 06:31

The main thing that is patchy is the quality of journalism these days. Slow news day I guess.

If they want to study grass that has patches of bare areas, maybe they could come and study my lawn. That would be more useful.

Tony

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Reply By: Blown4by - Sunday, Mar 20, 2016 at 15:29

Sunday, Mar 20, 2016 at 15:29

You will also notice that live spinifex plants in the desert are always dried out or 'half dead' on one side and not the other. This phenomenon can be used to aid navigation if you are lost without a compass or GPS. It is all to do with the climatic factors such as prevailing winds, rain, temperature, position of the sun, etc.

AnswerID: 597581