Abstract
Numerical support for generalizations about factors favoring peat formation in kettles is scant. Kettle morphometry was examined on the basis of fetch orientation, shoreline development, surface area, maximum depth, mean depth, and relative depth. The only significant feature separating peat-forming kettles from non-peat-forming kettles was surface area. Small basins seemed most likely to become peat-forming due to reduced wind and wave-induced erosion. Protected shores were more likely to develop a floating mat that favored the genesis and build-up of peat. The chemistry and ecology of the successive stands of vegetation that eventually colonized the peat was most affected by watershed area and hardpan permeability (which ultimately determined the degree of minerotrophy).