Formation of Low-Centered Ice-Wedge Polygons and Their Orthogonal Systems: A Review
Ice wedges, which are ubiquitous in permafrost areas, play a significant role in the evolution of permafrost landscapes, influencing the topography and hydrology of these regions. In this paper, we combine a detailed multi-generational, interdisciplinary, and international literature review along wi...
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2025-07-01
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| author | Yuri Shur Benjamin M. Jones M. Torre Jorgenson Mikhail Z. Kanevskiy Anna Liljedahl Donald A. Walker Melissa K. Ward Jones Daniel Fortier Alexander Vasiliev |
| author_facet | Yuri Shur Benjamin M. Jones M. Torre Jorgenson Mikhail Z. Kanevskiy Anna Liljedahl Donald A. Walker Melissa K. Ward Jones Daniel Fortier Alexander Vasiliev |
| author_sort | Yuri Shur |
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| description | Ice wedges, which are ubiquitous in permafrost areas, play a significant role in the evolution of permafrost landscapes, influencing the topography and hydrology of these regions. In this paper, we combine a detailed multi-generational, interdisciplinary, and international literature review along with our own field experiences to explore the development of low-centered ice-wedge polygons and their orthogonal networks. Low-centered polygons, a type of ice-wedge polygonal ground characterized by elevated rims and lowered wet central basins, are critical indicators of permafrost conditions. The formation of these features has been subject to numerous inconsistencies and debates since their initial description in the 1800s. The development of elevated rims is attributed to different processes, such as soil bulging due to ice-wedge growth, differential frost heave, and the accumulation of vegetation and peat. The transition of low-centered polygons to flat-centered, driven by processes like peat accumulation, aggradational ice formation, and frost heave in polygon centers, has been generally overlooked. Low-centered polygons occur in deltas, on floodplains, and in drained-lake basins. There, they are often arranged in orthogonal networks that comprise a complex system. The prevailing explanation of their formation does not match with several field studies that practically remain unnoticed or ignored. By analyzing controversial subjects, such as the degradational or aggradational nature of low-centered polygons and the formation of orthogonal ice-wedge networks, this paper aims to clarify misconceptions and present a cohesive overview of lowland terrain ice-wedge dynamics. The findings emphasize the critical role of ice wedges in shaping Arctic permafrost landscapes and their vulnerability to ongoing climatic and landscape changes. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d717fffa6f34411b85efcba1981a7c6d |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2076-3263 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geosciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-d717fffa6f34411b85efcba1981a7c6d2025-08-20T03:58:29ZengMDPI AGGeosciences2076-32632025-07-0115724910.3390/geosciences15070249Formation of Low-Centered Ice-Wedge Polygons and Their Orthogonal Systems: A ReviewYuri Shur0Benjamin M. Jones1M. Torre Jorgenson2Mikhail Z. Kanevskiy3Anna Liljedahl4Donald A. Walker5Melissa K. Ward Jones6Daniel Fortier7Alexander Vasiliev8Institute of Northern Engineering Fairbanks, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 1764 Tanana Drive, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USAInstitute of Northern Engineering Fairbanks, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 1764 Tanana Drive, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USAAlaska Ecoscience, Fairbanks, AK 99709, USAInstitute of Northern Engineering Fairbanks, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 1764 Tanana Drive, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USAInstitute of Northern Engineering Fairbanks, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 1764 Tanana Drive, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USAInstitute of Northern Engineering Fairbanks, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 1764 Tanana Drive, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USAInstitute of Northern Engineering Fairbanks, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 1764 Tanana Drive, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USADepartment of Geography, University of Montreal, 1375 Avenue Thérèse-Lavoie-Roux, Montréal, QC H2V 0B3, CanadaEarth Cryosphere Institute, Tyumen Scientific Centre of Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Tyumen 625026, RussiaIce wedges, which are ubiquitous in permafrost areas, play a significant role in the evolution of permafrost landscapes, influencing the topography and hydrology of these regions. In this paper, we combine a detailed multi-generational, interdisciplinary, and international literature review along with our own field experiences to explore the development of low-centered ice-wedge polygons and their orthogonal networks. Low-centered polygons, a type of ice-wedge polygonal ground characterized by elevated rims and lowered wet central basins, are critical indicators of permafrost conditions. The formation of these features has been subject to numerous inconsistencies and debates since their initial description in the 1800s. The development of elevated rims is attributed to different processes, such as soil bulging due to ice-wedge growth, differential frost heave, and the accumulation of vegetation and peat. The transition of low-centered polygons to flat-centered, driven by processes like peat accumulation, aggradational ice formation, and frost heave in polygon centers, has been generally overlooked. Low-centered polygons occur in deltas, on floodplains, and in drained-lake basins. There, they are often arranged in orthogonal networks that comprise a complex system. The prevailing explanation of their formation does not match with several field studies that practically remain unnoticed or ignored. By analyzing controversial subjects, such as the degradational or aggradational nature of low-centered polygons and the formation of orthogonal ice-wedge networks, this paper aims to clarify misconceptions and present a cohesive overview of lowland terrain ice-wedge dynamics. The findings emphasize the critical role of ice wedges in shaping Arctic permafrost landscapes and their vulnerability to ongoing climatic and landscape changes.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/15/7/249ice-wedge polygonsrimsaggradational icefrost heaveorthogonal system |
| spellingShingle | Yuri Shur Benjamin M. Jones M. Torre Jorgenson Mikhail Z. Kanevskiy Anna Liljedahl Donald A. Walker Melissa K. Ward Jones Daniel Fortier Alexander Vasiliev Formation of Low-Centered Ice-Wedge Polygons and Their Orthogonal Systems: A Review Geosciences ice-wedge polygons rims aggradational ice frost heave orthogonal system |
| title | Formation of Low-Centered Ice-Wedge Polygons and Their Orthogonal Systems: A Review |
| title_full | Formation of Low-Centered Ice-Wedge Polygons and Their Orthogonal Systems: A Review |
| title_fullStr | Formation of Low-Centered Ice-Wedge Polygons and Their Orthogonal Systems: A Review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Formation of Low-Centered Ice-Wedge Polygons and Their Orthogonal Systems: A Review |
| title_short | Formation of Low-Centered Ice-Wedge Polygons and Their Orthogonal Systems: A Review |
| title_sort | formation of low centered ice wedge polygons and their orthogonal systems a review |
| topic | ice-wedge polygons rims aggradational ice frost heave orthogonal system |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/15/7/249 |
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