Definition

Noun: 1. (Geology) A depression or hollow in glacial deposits, often containing a lake or pond, formed by the melting of a detached block of stagnant ice that was buried in the sediment. This feature is a type of kettle.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The small, circular pond in the field is actually a kettle hole left behind by the retreating glacier.
  • Many of the lakes in this region are kettle holes filled with water from the melting ice blocks.
  • Geologists identified the basin as a kettle hole due to its characteristic shape and surrounding glacial till.

Advanced Usage

• "Kettle hole lake": A specific term for a kettle hole that is filled with water, forming a lake.
  • Walden Pond in Massachusetts is a famous example of a kettle hole lake.

Variants and Related Words

• Kettle (n): The more general term for a depression formed by the melting of glacial ice. A kettle hole is a specific type of kettle.
• Kettle lake (n): Synonymous with "kettle hole lake."

Synonyms

• Kettle
• Pothole (in a glacial geology context)

Related Phrases

• Glacial deposit: The general material (like till) in which a kettle hole forms.
• Stagnant ice: The isolated block of ice whose melting creates the depression.

Noun

1. (geology) a hollow (typically filled by a lake) that results from the melting of a mass of ice trapped in glacial deposits