patterned ground
a general term for any ground surface exhibiting a discernibly ordered, more or less symmetrical, morphological pattern of ground and, where present, vegetation.
Image
![https://nsidc.org/sites/default/files/cryosphere/glossary/Patterned_Ground_small.jpg Patterned_Ground_small.jpg](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2020-12/Patterned_Ground_small.jpg.webp?itok=uc6zbDiX)
A photograph taken from the air reveals patterned ground surrounding thaw lakes in Alaskas Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Topic(s):
frozen ground or permafrost