You may remember an older post about Red Rock Coulee in Alberta. We were excited to find similar rocks growing in Kettle Point, right here in Ontario!
Kettle Point Park lies along the east shores of Lake Huron on unceded territory of the Chippewas of Kettle and Stony Point. The rocks, locally called “kettles”, weather out of the shale along the shoreline. To the local Anishinabek, the rare stones are sacred thunderbird eggs.
It was another gloomy day in Pinery Provincial Park so we left to find these Kettle Rocks.
We drove to Kettle Point Park where our sources identified the location of these mysterious rocks, and we found them despite the lack of signage.
To refresh your memory, these kettle-resembling forms, also known as concretions are rare geological phenomenon formed through a unique process. Over the years they slowly emerge through beds of eroding shale,
as you can see at the bottom of the picture below.
We found emerging kettles on several locations in the park,
in different stages of eruption and sizes
and some along the shoreline.
Currently, Lake Huron is experiencing very high water levels
and consequently, the beaches and trees are mostly underwater,
and so are many of the rock formations that once lined the beach and shallower waters.
Just offshore, below the Kettle Point formation, is a layer of Kettle Point chert. Approximately ten thousand years ago, during the retreat of the ice sheets, lower levels of water exposed the chert allowing mining. In my other life as an archaeologist, finding this chert was exciting as it indicated the potential presence of an early site.
Still, there are many of the spheres around on land,
and we wandered around the small park,
finding them in different colours and shapes.
Broken spheres,
perhaps by curious visitors, or forces of nature, allow a peak into their internal structure.
Crystals formed in a radiating pattern around a nucleus, from the centre out, creating a sphere.
Bacteria in the mud causes sulphate reduction and the precipitation of concretions.
Under still gloomy skies, we drove back to Pinery along the deserted army base and ominous signs,
but this will be a story for another time, so stay with us.
Nature never ceases to amaze! Those rocks are so cool.
Right? We thought they were amazing!
Love rocks – use to collect them. Loved the slate and those huge rocks. Nature holds a lot of surprises for all of us. Nice post.
Rocks are cool, and yes, nature never ceases to amaze!
This was so cool…thanks so much! Can’t wait till we can travel to your wonderful country again. This was amazing!
Thanks, Lorna! I can’t wait to travel to yours 🙂
those are cool rocks – I liked the photos that offered an inside look at them…
They are very cool! Hard to believe that they form over something as small as a tooth or a leaf!
nature doing its thing…
Interesting to see the spherical rocks, so like the Moeraki Boulders in New Zealand. Allan
Yes, there are outcrops of them in different parts of the world. They are really interesting!
Rock formations seem to be such important defining characteristics of every landscape. We just need their stories. I love this one!
Very true and this is probably why I am so drawn to rocks!
Very interesting, I didn’t know anything about how they were formed. Love the inside of the broken one. Maggie
Thanks, Maggie! These rocks are really cool!
I just went to the Alberta post too. I haven’t been there for years so had forgotten about that site near Medicine Hat.
These two locations are really cool! I love the Alberta one as you can do some longer hikes there!
Thunderbird eggs…that’s great.
I thought so too!
No! Keep going! “But this will be a story for another time, so stay with us”—I feel like one of those kids in class that needs to know what happened. You’ve mastered the art of the cliffhanger.
Haha, just wanted to make sure that you’ll be hanging around 🙂
Okay, keep stringing us along. 🤣
Absolutely amazing! I can only imagine the fun you would have unearthing one. 😉
They seem to be coming up all on their own without any help from us!
Terrific shots, the closeups look like nature’s artwork!
True! Nature is the best artist!
There’s nothing better than leaving in search of something to force oneself out in bad weather.
Indeed! There are lots of things to do outside at any weather and this was one of them!
They do look quite spectacular. The one that looks like a giant black yo-yo is quite different. If you want to see some orange ones have a search for ‘devils marbles’ in Northern Territory.
Yeah, each one of them was a bit different. Maybe it depends on what is in the nucleus? The devils marbles are quite interesting too!
I’ve honestly never heard of kettles before, but the rock formations look distinctive and fascinating for those who’ve never seen them before (including myself). Sounds like quite the adventure in seeking them out!
They are very distinctive. We felt so lucky finding two locations in Canada that have them!
Geology rocks! These kettle rocks are so neat, I love how some of them have been split open so you can see what they look like inside. I’m intrigued about your follow-up post about all those warning signs.
Geology does rock! I’ll try and post the next one soon 🙂
I remember in the late 1960s taking our kids to Kettle Point. We went several times the kids loved it so. I have a picture of my son sitting on a rock in shallow water. An Indian nearby with a fishing net watching him.
This sounds idyllic! It’s still an unspoiled place all these years after.