Canada Man Discovers Suspicious Pit on Google Maps; Experts Suspect Meteorite Impact Crater
Canada Man Discovers Suspicious Pit on Google Maps; Experts Suspect Meteorite Impact Crater
A mysterious, massive pit found on Google Maps may be the result of an ancient meteorite impact, say experts.
In an unexpected discovery, a Canadian man named Joel Lapointe uncovered a mysterious pit while browsing Google Maps, which may be a significant crater formed by an ancient meteorite. While planning a camping trip, Lapointe zoomed in on Quebec’s Cote-Nord region and noticed an unusual, nearly spherical pit surrounding Marsal Lake, stretching approximately 9.3 miles (15 km) across. The feature’s shape and symmetry caught his attention. It lead him to wonder whether it was a natural occurrence or something more extraordinary.
Seeking expert guidance, Lapointe reached out to French geophysicist Pierre Rochette, who is now leading a scientific investigation to determine if the pit is indeed a meteorite impact crater. “The topography is very suggestive of an impact,” Rochette stated. Preliminary analysis of samples taken from the site revealed the presence of zircon, a mineral known to form under the extreme heat and pressure associated with meteorite impacts. Rochette called the discovery potentially “major,” noting that the last known meteorite of this scale was found in 2013.
While the initial evidence points toward a meteorite impact, experts are awaiting further test results before confirming the crater’s origin. According to NASA, impact craters are created when objects like asteroids or meteorites collide with the surface of larger celestial bodies. Tara Hayden, a postdoctoral associate at Western University’s Department of Earth Sciences, explained that some craters may be millions or even hundreds of millions of years old. These meteorites often carry valuable information about the early solar system or ancient planetary materials.
“It could tell us about when it was delivered to Earth. That’s the wonderful thing about impact craters — we get to have this link between Earth and the outside universe,” Hayden said.
