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An inexplicable anomaly in the Arctic puzzled scientists and led to serious discussions. Experts cannot agree on why the hills in the Russian part of the Arctic are bent in such a strange way.
Along the banks of the Marha River, in the Siberian part of the Arctic, the earth is bent in a way that puzzles scientists, Live Science reported.
Photo: NASA Earth Observatory
A few days ago, NASA researchers released a series of satellite images of the strangely folded landscape. They were captured by the Landseat 8 satellite and show both banks of the Marha River, covered with dark and light curved stripes. The unusual visual effect is seen in all four seasons, but is more pronounced in winter, when white snow makes the images even more contrasting.
Scientists are not sure what is the reason for this feature in the area. Different NASA experts give different plausible explanations. One of them is related to the surface of the ice. This part of the central Siberian plateau is covered in permafrost 90 percent of the year, which sometimes thaws at short intervals, according to NASA.
Photo: NASA Earth Observatory
Areas of land that are constantly freezing, thawing and freezing revert to strange shapes in oval or striped shapes and were described by scientists in a study published in 2003. This effect is due to changes in the soil and stones during freezing and thawing constant.
But other similar examples, such as the stone circles of Svalbard, Norway, are much smaller than the fringes of Siberia.
Another possible explanation is erosion. American geologist Thomas Crawford explained to NASA that the stripes resemble the relief of sedimentary rocks, which take on similar shapes when snow melts or water flows over them. According to NASA, this is a logical explanation, but the questions remain until the curves are examined in place.
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