Astronauts discover Russia's ancient solution to crop protection
Mysterious, simple lines of equal thickness were noticed in the Volgograd area. Their specific appearance attracted the attention of astronauts on the International Space Station, who took pictures of them. NASA was able to clarify the origin and purpose of these geometric formations.
The Your Weather service recalled the story of the mysterious lines crossing southern Russia. As explained, the unusual formation was noticed by astronauts of the International Space Station (ISS). A few years ago, their attention was caught by a picture taken by one of the satellites. It showed triple lines laid out parallel to each other. The astronauts decided to take a closer look at this formation, which would allow them to determine what it was. The pictures they took showed it very clearly.
mysterious lines in Russia
Upon closer examination, the mysterious bands were miles-long, wide rows of trees. Humans deliberately planted the plants to protect crops from wind erosion, a process involving the blowing away of the fine surface layer of soil or rock substrate due to the action of the wind, leading to their destruction.
The process is particularly severe in areas lacking vegetation, which is why farmers intervene in the landscape by planting trees and other plants to protect their crops from the adverse effects of the wind. Such a way of manipulating local weather in the Volgograd area has been known for years, at least since the 17th century. Farmers can create these types of natural barriers and increase their effectiveness by adding more layers of trees.
As determined by NASA, the formation visible from space has impressive dimensions. Its length reaches about 14 kilometres. The individual lines are about 60 metres wide, and the total width of the "lines" protecting the crops from wind erosion is nearly 0.8 kilometres wide. In some places, the lines are intersected by streams or roads, and there is plenty of space for crop fields between them.
