Systems far from equilibrium
In fact, almost all of the patterns we see are observed in systems far from equilibrium. For instance, sand ripples appear because the sand is subjected to the force of the wind. Convection cells are created in a thin layer of oil at the bottom of a frying pan because heat is provided to the pan by the stove underneath.
Systems which are driven far from equilibrium are not in a state which corresponds to a minimum of their energy; as a consequence, these systems can exhibit rich dynamical behaviors, such as chaos or space-time disorder.