Kettle
U.S. Geological Survey photo by Bruce Molnia (fair use policy)
Kettles occur all over the places where Ice Age continental glaciers once existed. They form as the glaciers retreat, leaving large chunks of ice behind that are covered or surrounded by outwash sediment streaming from under the glacier. When the last ice melts, a hole is left behind in the outwash plain.
These kettles are freshly formed in the outwash plain of the retreating Bering Glacier in southern Alaska. In other parts of the country, kettles have turned into lovely ponds surrounded by vegetation. See some in the esker picture.
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Geologic Features and Processes
Glaciers and Ice
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