In a captivating discovery a Canadian man, Joel Lapointe, stumbled upon an enormous crater while browsing Google Maps. Planning a camping trip in Quebec’s Cote-Nord region, Lapointe zoomed in on a peculiar circular formation around Marsal Lake. Measuring approximately 9.3 miles (15 km) across, the symmetry and size of the pit caught his attention, leading him to believe it might be more than just a natural phenomenon.
Lapointe contacted French geophysicist Pierre Rochette, who now leads a team investigating whether the site could be an ancient meteorite impact crater. “The topography is very suggestive of an impact,” Rochette said.
Preliminary analysis of samples from the site indicates the presence of zircon, a mineral known to form under the extreme heat and pressure of meteorite impacts. If confirmed, this would be a significant find, marking the first discovery of a crater of this size since 2013.
Though experts are cautiously optimistic, more tests are needed before a definitive conclusion can be made. If confirmed, this impact crater could provide crucial insights into Earth’s interaction with extraterrestrial objects.
According to NASA, craters form when asteroids or meteorites crash into solid surfaces like planets or moons. Some of these craters can date back millions of years, offering scientists like Western University’s postdoctoral associate Tara Hayden a unique opportunity to study the links between Earth and the wider universe. “That’s the wonderful thing about impact craters. We get to have this link between Earth and the outside universe,” Hayden noted.
With ongoing research and analysis, this discovery may soon unlock more secrets about the Earth’s ancient history and its cosmic connections.
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