Strange striped patterns in Russia snow baffle NASA scientists

A satellite has captured strange rippled lines across parts of Russia's arctic, leaving scientists confused as to what they are.

The photos were captured by the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on NASA's Landsat 8 satellite and show the region on both sides of the Markha River in Russia's Central Siberian Plateau.

While the intriguing striped effect is always there, it is more visible in winter when the white snow makes the patterns stand out.

The strange pattern is evident regardless of the time of year

NASA scientists believe the cause of the effect is because this part of the Central Siberian Plateau is covered in permafrost for over 90 per cent of the year, sometimes melting for short intervals.

In 2003, scientists documented that patches of land which constantly freeze, then melt, then freeze again can take on circular or striped designs called patterned ground, according to Nature World News.

The effect takes place when soil and stone sort into patterns during the freeze-melt cycle.

Another reason could be land erosion, with geologists telling NASA the stripes resemble a layer cake pattern in the sedimentary rocks.

"The shape of the erosion pattern looks a bit different than standard sedimentary erosion, but my guess is that is due to the permafrost," Walt Meier, an ice specialist at the US National Snow and Ice Data Centre, told NASA.

"The rivers are eroding through frozen ground. There could also be some effect from frost heaves affecting the topography."

Several rivers, including the Markha, cut across the plateau and as the pattern moves closer to the river, the stripes start to fade.

Scientists believe this could be a result of sediment build-up along the riverbanks from millions of years of erosion.

While NASA agrees these predictions are plausible, it can't be confirmed until scientists can get to the location to study it up close.