The Brau Kettle is a geological feature known as a
karst
Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathering-resistant ro ...
that is located along the
Wallpack Ridge in the
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area is a national recreation area administered by the National Park Service in northwest New Jersey and northeast Pennsylvania. It is centered around a stretch of the Delaware River designated the Middle ...
in
Sandyston Township, New Jersey
Sandyston Township is a small rural township in Sussex County, New Jersey. It is located in the northwestern part of the state near the Pennsylvania border. The township is surrounded by and part of many national and state parks. As of the 2010 ...
. Its name derives from the Dutch for "brewing kettle" or "boiling kettle" which describes how water suddenly bubbles up from the ground. This site is referenced in early French Jesuit and Dutch colonial manuscripts as a landmark near which colonial traders exchanged goods with the
Munsee
The Munsee (or Minsi or Muncee) or mə́n'si·w ( del, Monsiyok)Online Lenape Talking Dictionary, "Munsee Indians"Link/ref> are a subtribe of the Lenape, originally constituting one of the three great divisions of that nation and dwelling along t ...
and other local Native American tribes. According to the
New Jersey Geological Survey, the feature looks like a
sinkhole
A sinkhole is a depression or hole in the ground caused by some form of collapse of the surface layer. The term is sometimes used to refer to doline, enclosed depressions that are locally also known as ''vrtače'' and shakeholes, and to openi ...
in dry times during the year. It is known to flow at random, after periods of precipitation, and is thought to be fed by a
sinking stream that vanishes in the forest roughly 1,800 feet away.
Unearthing New Jersey (Newsletter) Vol. 2 No. 1 Winter 2006
(Trenton: New Jersey Geological Survey, Department of Environmental Protection, 2006).
See also
* Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area is a national recreation area administered by the National Park Service in northwest New Jersey and northeast Pennsylvania. It is centered around a stretch of the Delaware River designated the Middle ...
* Geology of New Jersey
New Jersey is a very geologically and geographically diverse region in the United States' Middle Atlantic region, offering variety from the Appalachian Mountains and the Highlands in the state's northwest, to the Atlantic Coastal Plain region that ...
*
References
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Geology of New Jersey
Landforms of Sussex County, New Jersey
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
Sandyston Township, New Jersey