Striking ripples: NASA stunned by disturbing stripes dotting Russian arctic Siberia in satellite photos

11:08 GMT 02/27/2021Get a short url

Waves and folds along the banks of the Markha River in Siberia appear to look more like stripes in recently released images, but it is not clear whether geological build-up is solely responsible for this odd pattern.

NASA researchers have unveiled what has been considered a distinctly Siberian curiosity, displaying a multitude of satellite images of a remarkably rippled landscape near the Markha River in Arctic Siberia.

Captured with a Landsat 8 satellite over several years, the photo series shows the land on either side of the Markha River creased in alternating dark and light stripes, regardless of the season, although it becomes more evident in winter when the whiteness of the snow makes the contrast in the “texture” of the landscape is much more striking.

One of the explanations suggested for the phenomenon lies in the inherent geological characteristics. According to the space agency, this region of the central Siberian plateau is covered in permafrost for the lion’s share of the year, although it thaws occasionally – albeit briefly -.

These expanses of land that freeze, thaw and freeze repeatedly have been known to take on strange circular or ridged shapes, making the nearby soil particularly weathered, scientists reported in a study published in January 2003 in the journal Science. The pattern occurs when soils and stones sort naturally during freeze-melt intervals.

Another possible explanation is erosion, scientists believe. Thomas Crafford, a geologist with the US Geological Survey, told NASA that the stripes look like a pattern in sedimentary rocks commonly referred to as layer cake geology. These patterns occur when sleet or rain trickles downward, cutting and throwing chunks of sedimentary rock into piles. The process can reveal patches of sediment that resemble slices of a layered cake, Crafford explained, with the darker stripes representing steeper areas of earth while the lighter stripes point to flatter areas.

As can be seen from the images provided by NASA, this type of sedimentary stratification stands out more during the cold season, when white snow stays longer on flatter areas, making them appear lighter. Crafford added, however, that this naturally designed design fades in areas closer to the river, where sediment accumulates more evenly along the banks and where increased water erosion has occurred for millions of years. .