Which mechanism best explains patterned ground formation in periglacial loess deposits?

💡 Explanation

When temperatures fluctuate across freezing and thawing points, cryoturbation—frost sorting—occurs because the heaving and subsidence of different soil components sorts them by size, which results in patterned ground formation. Therefore, cryoturbation explains pattern formation rather than other processes, such as wind or chemical erosion.

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