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Intricate patterns of stones and mud are often found to decorate the ground in alpine and polar landscapes. In his Perspective, [Mann][1] highlights the explanation for these patterns offered by [Kessler and Werner][2] on the basis of a self-organization model. Acting over centuries, simple physical mechanisms such as the upfreezing of stones can produce the observed patterns wherever the ground repeatedly freezes and thaws. [1]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/299/5605/354 [2]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/299/5605/380
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Daniel H. Mann (2003) studied this question.
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