Crevasse Filling in the Northern Kettle Moraine EarthCache
Crevasse Filling in the Northern Kettle Moraine
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This is not your typical geocache; it is an EarthCache. Instead of looking for a “cache container” you will be brought to a geological feature.
GEOLOGICAL INFORMATION
ABOUT THIS LOCATION This site is located near the Henry S. Reuss Ice Age Visitor Center in the Kettle Moraine State Forest – North Unit on Highway 67 a short distance west of Dundee. A visit to the Center is highly recommended, but check hours. NOTE: Area is closed 11:00 PM to 6:00 AM. When the Zillmer Trail is groomed for skiing, please use only the Vista Trail.
Find and follow the Zillmer Trail North Access sign (N 43 38.538 W 88 11.453) to the Vista Trail which takes you up to a bench at the coordinates. Then retrace your steps to a Vista Trail sign and turn left. As you approach the stairs there is an excellent view of Dundee Mountain (kame).
GEOLOGICAL INFORMATION
This EarthCache is dedicated to the 75th Anniversary of the Kettle Moraine State Forest, 1936-2011. It obtained its first donation of land in 1936. This 800-acre site is nearby at Mauthe Lake and was intended to preserve the glacial features it contained. The forest now has 60,000 acres. Ray Zillmer and Henery Reuss contributed much to the Ice Age Trail project.
The Zillmer Trail is named in recognition of Raymond Zillmer who proposed a park in the 1950s dedicated to preserving ice age features. The visitor center is named in honor of Congressman Henry S. Reuss for his support of this endeavor.
One of the important glacial features preserved here is a crevasse filling. Most of them are about one-quarter of a mile in length. As a glacier moves along, it often develops cracks called crevasses. Meltwater on a retreating glacier will deposit sand, gravel, and rocks into them forming crevasse fillings. Here, by 10,000 years ago, on the eastern edge of the melting and then stationary Green Bay Lobe, this particular crevasse filling was formed.
The Kettle Interlobate Moraine region here is about five miles wide, and this crevasse filling is near its western edge and formed by the Green Bay Lobe of the vast continental glacier referred to as the Laurentide Ice Sheet. That lobe was moving in an eastern direction here. By observing the direction of the crevasse filling, it is possible to determine whether the crevasse was with the direction of glacial movement, perpendicular to it, or somewhat in between.
A crevasse filling somewhat resembles an esker, but an esker is more undulating, stratified, and gently curving. This difference can be noticed while hiking on them. You will see many erratic underfoot; most of them will be dolomite because that is the bedrock in the area. As you hike on this crevasse filling, imagine a crack many feet deep in the glacial ice being filled with debris that was dropped with the meltwater. With each step, be grateful to Zillmer, Reuss, numerous volunteers, and others who helped preserve this and other glacial features. As a result, you have the privilege of walking on this remarkable glacial feature...a crevasse filling!
Other Educational Info – Technical
EARTHCACHE INFORMATION Bring your camera, binoculars, and compass. To receive credit for this EarthCache, please do the following and e-mail answers to me:
1. Elevation at coordinates/base of bench is ________.
2. Estimated height of crevasse filling is ________, and width is __________.
3. Two glacial landforms you see from the bench overlook are ______________ and ________________.
4. This crevasse filling appears to be generally in a ___________ direction; therefore the crevasse was OR was not in the same direction as the movement of its __________Lobe.
You do NOT need to wait for confirmation from me before logging your find. Please do not make any reference to these answers in your log.
Additional Hints
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