A Canadian man has uncovered a potentially historic discovery while exploring Google Maps. Joel Lapointe found a massive, spherical pit while planning a camping trip in Quebec’s Cote-Nord region. The pit, approximately 9.3 miles (15 km) across and surrounding Marsal Lake, caught his attention due to its unusual shape and symmetry.
1. Lapointe’s curiosity led him to contact experts, including French geophysicist Pierre Rochette, who is now investigating the pit as a potential meteorite impact crater.
2. Rochette and his team have collected samples from the site. Preliminary tests reveal that some samples contain zircon, a mineral known to form under the intense conditions of a meteorite impact.
3. The presence of zircon is significant because it suggests a high-pressure impact event, which would indicate a substantial meteorite collision.
4. The potential discovery of a meteorite impact crater is notable, as the last significant meteorite of this size was identified in 2013.
5. Experts are still awaiting further test results to confirm whether the pit is indeed an ancient impact crater. The analysis is ongoing.
6. NASA defines an impact crater as a depression formed when a celestial object, like an asteroid or meteorite, strikes a solid surface such as a planet or moon.
7. Tara Hayden, a postdoctoral associate at Western University’s Department of Earth Sciences, explains that impact craters can have origins spanning millions or even hundreds of millions of years.
8. Meteorites that create craters can originate from various sources, including ancient planets or primordial materials from the early solar system.
9. Hayden notes the importance of studying impact craters to understand their history and their connection to the broader universe.
10. The potential discovery of this crater could provide valuable insights into Earth’s geological history and its interactions with extraterrestrial objects.
11. As scientists continue their investigation, the excitement surrounding this discovery highlights the ongoing allure of space and its impact on our planet.