Which mechanism primarily causes lobate terraces to form in high-latitude, gently sloping terrains during solifluction?

💡 Explanation

When permafrost thaws seasonally, differential rates of thaw and flow occurs because the surface layer becomes saturated and flows downslope at varying speeds due to microtopography, leading to the formation of lobes. Therefore lobate terraces results, rather than erosion, weathering, or root stabilization which require different environmental drivers.

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