A kettle or kettle hole is formed when a block of ice from a glacier breaks off and is surrounded or buried in sand, gravel, or till. A depression is left when the ice melts away. Ice left on top of sand and gravel would melt away without leaving any trace. Kettles can be formed in outwash areas when ice is carried away from the glacier or among moraines when ice is dropped at the edge of the glacier.
If the bottom of the kettle is below the top of the water table and / or it is fed by a stream or spring, it will be permanently filled with water. If the bottom of the kettle is above the top of the water table and is not fed by a stream or spring, it will be dry.
Wisconsin has over 10,000 lakes and nearly all of them are kettle lakes formed when the glacier melted back. Since the glacier did not reach the Driftless Area of southwest Wisconsin, there were no kettles and therefore there are no natural lakes.
IATCC is the cache designation to highlight a series of EarthCaches along the Ice Age National Scenic Trail grouped into a special category called "ColdCache."
The Ice Age Trail is one of eleven National Scenic Trails designated by the National Park Service. This unique trail is entirely within the state of Wisconsin and follows along the terminal moraine of the most recent glacier which retreated about 10,000 years ago.
This project is supported by the Ice Age Trail Alliance (IATA). The goal is to bring more visitors to the trail and promote public awareness, appreciation, and understanding of Wisconsin’s glacial landscape.
The IATA has created an awards program to encourage visits to the trail and ColdCache sites. This awards program is separate from, and in addition to, any other Geo- or EarthCache awards program.
A current list of approved ColdCache sites can be found on the “IATCC Bookmark List”. More information on the Ice Age Trail Atlas, the Companion Guide, the ColdCache Project and Awards Program can be found on the “ColdCache Webpage”
The Geocache Notification Form has been submitted to Jim Tomasko of the Wisconsin DNR. Geocaches placed on Wisconsin Department of Natural Resource managed lands require permission by means of a notification form. Please print out a paper copy of the notification form, fill in all required information, then submit it to the land manager. The DNR Notification form and land manager information can be obtained at: www.wi-geocaching.com/hiding
1. Is this kettle a dry, seasonally wet, or permanently water filled kettle? What evidence do you see to support your answer?
2. Is this kettle in an outwash area or among moraine? What evidence do you see to support your answer?