Patterned ground

Typically, the type of patterned ground in a given area is related to the prevalence of larger stones in local soils and the frequency of freeze-thaw cycles.

This form of patterned ground is generally a terrace-like feature that has a border of either larger stones or vegetation on the downslope side, and can consist of either sorted or unsorted material.

[4][6] Stripes are lines of stones, vegetation, and/or soil that typically form from transitioning steps on slopes at angles between 2° and 7°.

[14][15][6] It has been conjectured that periglacial stripes on Salisbury Plain in England, that happened by chance to align with the solar sunrise at mid summer and sun set at mid winter, gave rise to awe and veneration by prehistoric people that eventually culminated in the building of the Stonehenge.

These water-saturated areas of finer sediments have a much greater ability to expand and contract as freezing and thawing occur, leading to lateral forces which ultimately pile larger stones into clusters and stripes.

Through time, repeated freeze-thaw cycles smooth out irregularities and odd-shaped piles to form the common polygons, circles, and stripes of patterned ground.

The patterned ground below Mugi Hill on Mount Kenya lies in an area of seasonal frost. [ 1 ]
A pingo and polygonal ground near Tuktoyaktuk , Northwest Territories, Canada
Patterned ground in the form of soil polygons located in the hyper-arid Atacama Desert [ 2 ]
Polygonal soil patterns, typical of the Arctic Tundra
Partially melted and collapsed lithalsas (heaved mounds found in permafrost) have left circle-like structures on the Svalbard Archipelago .
Periglacial stone stripes in Antarctica [ 13 ]
Patterned ground in the polar region of Mars