Before you lies a special geological landform called a kettle lake. This is created when blocks of glacial ice break off of an advancing glacier and become buried in the glacial outwash of gravel, rock, and sand. Glacial outwash is generated when streams of meltwater flow from the glacier and deposit sediment to form a broad outwash plain. Eventually the ice block melts beneath the outwash, leaving behind a hole or “kettle”. The name “kettle” comes from the old meaning of “kettle” as in a deep iron basin for heating water over a fire. When the kettle fills with water it becomes a lake like the one you see before you. It has appropriately been named Kettle Lake.
To get credit for this earth cache, email to me the answers to the following questions:
- Estimate the distance across Kettle Lake.
- How many sides of the lake have hills?
- Estimate the height of the highest hill.
- Explain how Kettle Lake was formed.
- Optional- Take a photo of yourself with the lake in the background.