Discovery of possible ancient asteroid impact site in Quebec
While searching for a camping trip spot, Joël Lapointe stumbled upon an unusual formation. Its spherical shape caught his attention, and scientists have their own assumptions about its origin.
9 September 2024 18:02
Browsing through Google Maps can reveal many interesting points. Satellites present objects from a perspective that allows us to see patterns not visible daily. Joël Lapointe discovered one such interesting formation while planning his camping trip.
Looking for a trip location in the Côte-Nord region of Quebec, he found a place where an asteroid theoretically could have struck the Earth's surface. Near Marsal Lake in Quebec, this spherical structure is about 9 miles in diameter.
Discovery in Google Maps
Lapointe decided to contact scientists to share his discovery. He informed Pierre Rochette from the French Centre de recherche en géosciences de l'environnement (CEREGE) and asked for his help in identifying the finding.
After analyzing satellite images, it was assumed there is a possibility it is the result of an ancient asteroid impact on Earth. Additionally, scientists speculated there might have been a misclassification of the ring of mountains surrounding the nearby lake.
The formation mentioned was initially interpreted as a volcanic diatreme. However, it is more likely that it formed as a molten rock at the bottom of a low-clast crater.
Scientists cannot yet confirm the formation's identity, but there is a high probability that Lapointe indeed found an ancient asteroid impact site. The impact could have occurred between 450 and 38 million years ago, based on erosion levels.
"Based on the already available preliminary evidence, Lake Marsal seems to be a serious candidate to become the 11th confirmed impact structure from Quebec," the scientists wrote. They hoped that after visiting the site and conducting thorough studies, they would find more evidence that this is an asteroid impact site on Earth.
