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Sorted circles in the maritime Subantarctic, Marion Island
Author(s) -
Holness Stephen Dale
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
earth surface processes and landforms
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.294
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1096-9837
pISSN - 0197-9337
DOI - 10.1002/esp.430
Subject(s) - scaling , geology , altitude (triangle) , frost (temperature) , convection , sorting , oceanography , physical geography , geometry , meteorology , geography , geomorphology , mathematics , algorithm
Active sorted circles are quantitatively described for the first time for the maritime Subantarctic. Increasing altitude and hence increasing frost penetration are associated with systematic increases in pattern spacing, cell width, height of the fine centre relative to the border, and depth of sorting (but not the width of coarse margins). These results imply consistent dimensional scaling of circle parameters. It is argued, on the basis of the altitudinal trends in pattern morphology, the dimensional scaling of forms, and the morphology of the patterns, that differential frost heave in association with convection cells is responsible for circle formation. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.