This is a collection of termite mounds in gray that, from a distance, resemble a gigantic graveyard.
Located in Litchfield National Park, near the town of Batchelor in Australia, the mounds built by termites are unusually connected to the earth’s magnetic field.
In a vast, open area of this national park, hundreds of termite mounds fill the space, resembling tombstones from afar but much taller.
Many termite mounds here are growing taller, with an average height of 3 meters. They appear relatively flat and all face in one direction, with the thin edges of the mounds oriented towards the north and south like a compass needle.
Many hypotheses have been proposed by scientists regarding mound-building by termites, but the most widely accepted theory is that this alignment allows termites to maintain a more comfortable home.
In northern Australia, the days are extremely hot while the nights are cool, leading researchers to believe that termites somehow harness the earth’s magnetic field to control their climate and create the best home.
Graham Brown, a former insect manager at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, explains that the towering termite mounds can be seen as termite apartment buildings.
A single termite mound can harbor tens of thousands of termites. For all insects, the architecture of the mound needs to be precise to ensure a completely comfortable home.
Graham Brown also elaborates that all the small rooms or galleries in a house require proper humidity and good internal temperature, so the north-south alignment of the mounds seems to help keep termites comfortable.
