Kames are stratified hills of cobble, gravel, sand, and silt. Streams flowing on the top of a glacier or in a tunnel within a glacier sort the glacial debris. Sometimes, the stream fell into a moulin hole in the ice, also called an "ice well", As the ice well waters swirled their load of rock waste into it, a conical deposit of sand and gravel occurred. Where meltwaters, flowing over the surface of the glacier, plunged into a crevasse or crack in the glacier or fell over the ice front in a waterfall onto the accumulating moraine, conical deposits of debris were left resting on the edge of the ice. Kames are recognized by their "knob-like" structure and by their common occurrences in areas of interlobate moraines.
Over a period of 20 million years starting about one billion years ago, a fracture in the earth running from what is now Oklahoma to Lake Superior generated volcanic activity that almost split North America. Lava intermittently flowed from the fracture. This geomorphic age created mountains covering this region of Michigan. Over time these mountains eroded, while occasional volcanic activity continued. Molten magma below the highlands of what is now Lake Superior spewed out to its sides, causing the highlands to sink and formed a mammoth rock basin that would one day hold Lake Superior. Eventually the fracture stabilized and, over time, the rock tilted down from north to south.
After this hot period, the cold came as well as the glaciers. The ice sheet that covered Michigan was the Laurentide Ice Sheet. The glaciers would decrease and increase over time. With this large lobes, made up these glaciers. This kame came to be from the meltwaters that flowed between the Saginaw and the Huron lobes. It was about 7,000 years ago that the glacier receded from this area leaving behind this kame.
Pine Knob Kame is located on private property that includes a golf course, winter ski slopes, and an entertainment venue. It is the highest spot in Oakland County, Michigan. The top of Pine Knob has been measured at 1286 feet above sea level. You are not required to visit the peak of Pine Knob but rather view the kame from a short distance away.
Before you can log this find you will need to make some discoveries and e-mail me the answers.
1. Go up to the posted coordinates and take an altimeter reading from this area. You will not be going to the highest point of the kame but you will be able to see it at this spot. Send an email to me listing your altimeter reading.
2. Compute the difference in altitude between the spot you are viewing the kame and the listed height of the kame. Include that information in your email to me.
3. Take a photo of yourself near the posted coordinates with Pine Knob in the background and post it with your log.
