Lithalsa is a
frost-induced raised land form in
permafrost
Permafrost is ground that continuously remains below 0 °C (32 °F) for two or more years, located on land or under the ocean. Most common in the Northern Hemisphere, around 15% of the Northern Hemisphere or 11% of the global surface ...
areas with mineral-rich soils, where a perennial
ice lens
Ice lenses are bodies of ice formed when moisture, diffused within soil or rock, accumulates in a localized zone. The ice initially accumulates within small collocated pores or pre-existing crack, and, as long as the conditions remain favorable, ...
has developed within the soil. The term sometimes also refers to
palsa
Palsas are peat mounds with a permanently frozen peat and mineral soil core. They are a typical phenomenon in the polar and subpolar zone of discontinuous permafrost. One of their characteristics is having steep slopes that rises above the mire ...
s and
pingo
Pingos are intrapermafrost ice-cored hills, high and in diameter. They are typically conical in shape and grow and persist only in permafrost environments, such as the Arctic and subarctic. A pingo is a periglacial landform, which is defin ...
s.
References
External links
Stone Circles Explained about stone structures created by frost heaving
Geomorphology
Glaciology
Ground freezing
Palsas
Patterned grounds
Periglacial landforms
Soil
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