Kenai National Wildlife Refuge restoration work. The day after this photo was taken, we were evacuated from the site and not allowed to return for over a month as the fire rage on. What I found upon return was a little disheartening.
Thermokarst thaw slump. As the ground thaws and falls away, ice wedges in the ground are exposed. They are what look like vertical ridges. The exposed area then warms and thaws, and the cycle continues.
A heavy layer of moss protects much of the soil surface during a fire. There are changes, though. A lighter green surface reflects light, but the dark, charred surface absorbs light, and thus, more heat.