Self-Organization of Sorted Patterned Ground
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Publication Date
January 2003
Abstract
Striking circular, labyrinthine, polygonal, and striped patterns of stones and soil self-organize in many polar and high alpine environments. These forms emerge because freeze-thaw cycles drive an interplay between two feedback mechanisms. First, formation of ice lenses in freezing soil sorts stones and soil by displacing soil toward soil-rich domains and stones toward stone-rich domains. Second, stones are transported along the axis of elongate stone domains, which are squeezed and confined as freezing soil domains expand. In a numerical model implementing these feedbacks, circles, labyrinths, and islands form when sorting dominates; polygonal networks form when stone domain squeezing and confinement dominate; and stripes form as hillslope gradient is increased.
Document Type
Article
Notes
Science, Vol. 299, no. 5605 (2003-01-17).
Identifier
SFS0046453_00001
Recommended Citation
Kessler, M. A. and Werner, B. T., "Self-Organization of Sorted Patterned Ground" (2003). KIP Articles. 4711.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/kip_articles/4711
