Joël Lapointe's Google Maps discovery may reveal ancient impact site
While searching for a campsite, Joël Lapointe came across an unusual formation. Its spherical shape caught his attention, and scientists speculated about its origin.
2:39 PM EDT, September 9, 2024
When browsing Google Maps, you can come across many interesting points. Satellites present objects from a perspective that allows us to see patterns that are not visible daily. Joël Lapointe, while planning a camping trip, stumbled upon one of these interesting formations.
Looking for a trip spot in the Côte-Nord region of Quebec, he discovered a place where, theoretically, an asteroid might have struck the Earth's surface. This spherical structure, roughly 9 miles in diameter, is located near Marsal Lake in Quebec.
discovery in Google Maps
Lapointe decided to contact scientists to share his findings. He informed Pierre Rochette from the French Centre de Recherche en Géosciences de l'Environnement (CEREGE) and asked for help identifying the discovery.
After analyzing satellite images, scientists assumed that it could be the result of an ancient asteroid impact on Earth. At the same time, they considered that there might have been a mistake in classifying the ring of mountains surrounding the nearby lake.
This formation was supposed to be interpreted as a volcanic diatreme. It is more likely to form as rock melts at the bottom of the crater, which is low in clastics.
Scientists cannot yet confirm the formation's identity, but there is a significant likelihood that Lapointe indeed found an ancient asteroid impact site. Based on erosion levels, the impact occurred between 450 and 38 million years ago.
"Based on the already available preliminary evidence, Lake Marsal seems to be a serious candidate to become the 11th confirmed impact structure from Quebec," wrote the scientists. They expressed hope that after visiting the site and conducting detailed research, they would find more evidence that it is indeed an asteroid impact site on Earth.
