Patterned ground and stone circles formed above permafrost in the high Arctic on Spitsbergen, Svalbard.

---

Patterned ground and stone circles formed above permafrost in the high Arctic on Spitsbergen, Svalbard. The paaterns are formed by frost heave and freeze thaw cycles which pushed the large rocks out from the centre of the cirle leaving the lcays in the middle.

---

Size: 5759px × 3840px
Photo credit: © Ashley Cooper / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: arctic, circle, circles, frost, ground, heave, patterned, pebbles, permafrost, polygons, rock, sorting, spitsbergen, stone, svalbard, tundra