A Canadian outdoor enthusiast may have discovered evidence of a previously undiscovered ancient meteorite impact site.
While preparing for a camping trip, Joël Lapointe was researching Quebec’s Côte-Nord region on Google Earth. During his exploration, he noticed unusual topographical features that could indicate the presence of an impact crater.
Côte-Nord: A Prime Location for Discovery
Spanning 95,000 square miles of mostly public land, Côte-Nord is an administrative area in Quebec, Canada. Located along the St. Lawrence River and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the region is home to many protected habitats and supports industries such as logging, mining, and fishing. Despite its vast size, Côte-Nord houses only 1% of Quebec’s population, making it an ideal place for natural curiosities to remain hidden.
Canada has 31 confirmed meteorite impact craters, 10 of which are in Quebec. With one out of every 20 impact craters found on Earth located in the province, Quebec is an excellent place to search for new ones. However, the high concentration of craters could be partly attributed to the many geologists drawn to the region for its mining industry. Côte-Nord’s sparse population is balanced by the influx of professionals with the expertise to identify these features.
Discovery of the Potential Impact Site
Lapointe’s attention was drawn to a 15-kilometer-wide depression. The unusual curvature caught his eye, and as he zoomed in, he observed an 8-kilometer-wide mountain range forming a ring around Marsal Lake. Sensing these geological features might be of significance, Lapointe reached out to professional scientists.
Pierre Rochette, a French geophysicist with the Centre de Recherche en Géosciences de l’Environnement, took interest in the potential impact site. Rochette is now part of an organized group investigating the area, with plans to visit in 2025. “Looking at the topography, it’s very suggestive of impact,” Rochette told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Investigating the Côte-Nord Site
Initial research has already begun. Rochette is currently analyzing samples from the site in France. He identified zircon, a mineral that undergoes transformation under impact stress, as a potential indicator of a large impact event. While the results are not yet conclusive, they justify continued investigation.
Gordon Osinski, an Earth Sciences professor at Western University, plans to visit the site alongside the French team. “It’s super exciting,” Osinski said. “It doesn’t happen too often.” One of the features Osinski hopes to find are shatter cones—grooves in the rock surface that serve as clear evidence of meteorite impact. In addition to these, about half a dozen other criteria will be examined to determine if this site is indeed an impact crater.
While Osinski acknowledges that “nine times out of ten, circular or semi-circular structures found on Google Earth are not impact craters,” Lapointe’s discovery shows promising early evidence. The investigation is ongoing, and the scientific community remains optimistic about what may be uncovered.
Ryan Whalen covers science and technology for The Debrief. He holds a BA in History and a Master of Library and Information Science with a certificate in Data Science. He can be contacted at ryan@thedebrief.org, and follow him on Twitter @mdntwvlf.