Full Breakdown
Citizen-Spotted Crater Confirmed as 390-Million-Year-Old Impact Site in Quebec
7/18/2026, 8:49:20 AM
Discovery and Confirmation
In 2024 amateur astronomer Joël Lapointe noticed a circular depression while planning a camping trip on Google Maps in Quebec’s Côte-Nord region. He contacted French geophysicist Pierre Rochette, who suggested the feature could be an impact crater. A four-person research team led by Gordon Osinski, professor of planetary geology at Western University, visited the site in 2025. Laboratory analysis of samples collected on the five-day field trip dated the structure to 390 million years ago and identified it as a previously undocumented impact crater, now named Uhackatik after consultation with the Innu Council of Ekuanitshit.
Field Expedition and Evidence
The remote location required a float-plane drop 50 metres offshore, after which the team waded ashore with gear. Over two days they documented shatter cones—distinctive V-shaped fractures formed only by shock waves—and large cliffs of impact melt rock, confirming the high-temperature, high-pressure conditions of a meteor impact. The crater measures roughly 25 kilometres (15 miles) in diameter, placing it among the world’s larger known craters; only about 200 are catalogued globally, with 31 confirmed in Canada.
Scientific and Regional Significance
The find expands the inventory of North-American impact structures and provides a new site for studying Ordovician-Silurian boundary events. Its size and preservation make it a valuable reference for impact-related geology, while the citizen-science origin highlights the role of public observation in advancing planetary research.
Official Statements & Responses
Osinski emphasized the rarity of such discoveries, noting that most public reports are false alarms. He described the 2025 fieldwork as “one of the most arduous expeditions” of his career, citing rugged terrain and logistical challenges. Lapointe expressed enthusiasm, urging others not to dismiss intuitive observations outside their expertise. The team plans to present their findings at the Meteoritical Society’s annual congress in Germany.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I get lots of messages from the public thinking they have found a crater and 99/100 turn out not to be the case,” — Gordon Osinski, Planetary Geology Professor, Western University
- “It was quite an exciting discovery,” — Gordon Osinski, Planetary Geology Professor, Western University
- “You can melt literally tens of cubic kilometres of the Earth’s crust when you get a big enough asteroid hitting,” — Gordon Osinski, Planetary Geology Professor, Western University
- “It’s not every day that an ordinary citizen finds a 390-million-year-old crater,” — Joël Lapointe, Amateur Astronomer
- “beautiful lesson that our planet, even though we have studied it a lot, still holds beautiful surprises and continues to amaze us.” — Jérôme Gattacceca, Geologist, European Centre for Research and Teaching in Environmental Geosciences
