crop circles in the snow
crop circles are a topic that straddles the scientific and the paranormal.
Conventional wisdom would say that there is nothing natural about geometric figures appearing in fields of wheat etc. If it is a "natural" phenomena then why the high percentage of alleged fakes. Why not 50 % hoax and 50 % natural?

There are undoubtedly a number of fakes. Some are even intentional examples to imitate the phenomena.
What was accredited to the devil in the past is often blamed on aliens nowadays.

The ability to fake something does not disprove the authentic version. It only proves that it can be faked or imitated..not that it has been.

The pro crop circle crowd point to the following

There are "crop circles" around the world. Some in fields some in snow and some on ice.
The vast number....thousands in fact, rule out the work of Dave and Doug as an explanation for all of them.

The rapidity of the appearance of CC suggests that the are not the work of fraud artists with boards. The imitated circles have broken grain stocks while the unexplained ones are bent.

They also point to the fact the complex patterns would have to be practiced somewhere-in a field- before they could be made for real. Where are the practice sites.

Some have appeared on ice that is too thin to walk on. .

There are other issues that verge on parapsychology. This includes ideas that crop circles can be willed to appear.

They are a paranormal phenomena that remains to be explained. The "natural" explanation requires an explanation of the mechanics of formation.

To distance the study from current fraud, I think it is important to look into the history of
CC and to examine stories from other cultures. I think the Native American story is worth reading.
Here is the Indian story;
"I have an 'ancient account' of another circle in a little book entitled
"Thirty Indian Legends of Canada" by Margaret Bemister. The book was
published in 1912, and is a collection of stories and legends from
various indigenous tribes. The story of interest here is called "The
Daughters of the Star". It tells of a skilful hunter who, while out
hunting on the prairie, discovered a circle. "It looked as if people had
run around in a ring until the grass was trampled down. As he could see
no marks of footsteps leading away from the ring, he wondered very much
whose feet could have marked out the circle." So he went and hid, and
waited to see if anyone returned to the spot. "After a while, he heard
the sound of beautiful music. It seemed to come from the sky. As he
looked up, he saw something coming down through the air, and the music
sounded like the singing of girls. As the object came closer, he could
see that it was a wicker basket, and in it were twelve beautiful
maidens." After it touched down, the girls alighted from the basket and
danced around the circle, but as soon as the hunter made his presence
known to them, they jumped back into the basket "and were at once drawn
up to the sky." Later in the story, it seems that in order to start the
basket moving the passengers needed "to sing the old chant". Where the
maidens go is to Star Grandfather, who was capable of wondrous magic ."

This could also be a reference to UFOs!