Namibia --- The thin grasses here have a rare speckled pattern known as "fairy circles", a phenomena that is poorly understood. Grasses seem to grow higher on the inner rim of the circles due to less competition for water on the inside of the ring. Scientists speculate that the barren area inside the circles may be the result of some kind of growth-inhibiting substance left in the ground by either insect colonies or root systems of plants that are no longer found in the area, but fungus, termites, and radioactivity have all been ruled out. Numerous studies have tested out different theories without reaching an answer. --- Image by © George Steinmetz/Corbis
23 May 2010, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia --- Dead Vlei is an old saltpan named for its eery dead appearance. Water was cut off when the flow of the Tsauchab River changed its course approximately 500 years ago. This now provides visitor with the most spectacular scenery in the Namib desert, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia. --- Image by © Martin Harvey/Corbis