Sorted stripes orientated by wind action: Some observations from sub‐antarctic marion island

• Published in: Earth Surface Processes
• Main Author: Hall, Kevin
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 1979
• Subjects: Antarc*; Antarctic; Marion Island
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/esp.3290040309; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fesp.3290040309; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/esp.3290040309

Abstract Sorted stripes found on the volcanic scoria and glacial deposits of sub‐Antarctic Marion Island indicate a distinct preferred orientation. Despite uniformity of slope and material, the stripes are predominantly aligned parallel to the wind. It is suggested that melting of needle ice by the early morning sun is of only limited importance in the sub‐Antarctic owing to the almost continual overcast conditions. The effect of the wind is so great that in exposed situations stripes are formed on horizontal surfaces.