Patterns of Frozen Ground

Patterned ground creates striking geometric shapes on frozen soil.

Patterned ground appears in Arctic, Antarctica, and Australia's Outback.

Freezing and thawing cycles push stones into patterns on soil.

Polygons form as stone rings that shrink in size with depth.

Circles range from centimeters to meters, with stones around soil.

Stripes form on slopes between 2 and 7 degrees with stones.

Freeze-thaw cycles force large stones upward, smaller stones below.

Water-rich fine sediments expand and contract, moving stones around.

Patterned ground with polygons and circles in Arctic tundra.

Mount Kenya shows patterned ground starting at 3,400 meters elevation.

Blockfields near 3,400 meters on Mount Kenya crack into hexagons.

Patterned ground mostly forms within the active layer of permafrost.