Gow crater facts for kids
Gow Lake - Landsat OLI 37
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| Impact crater/structure | |
|---|---|
| Confidence | confirmed |
| Diameter | 5 kilometres (3 mi) |
| Age | < 250 million years old (Triassic) |
| Exposed | Yes |
| Drilled | No |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 56°27′5″N 104°28′5″W / 56.45139°N 104.46806°W |
| Country | Canada |
 Gow crater
Location in Saskatchewan
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Gow is a special place in Saskatchewan, Canada. It's a huge bowl-shaped hole in the ground called an impact crater. This crater was made a very long time ago when something from space, like a meteorite, crashed into Earth!
Contents
What is the Gow Crater?
The Gow crater is about 5 kilometers (or 3 miles) wide. That's like walking across five big football fields! Scientists believe it was formed less than 250 million years ago. This time period is known as the Triassic period.
A Lake in the Crater
Today, the Gow crater is filled with water, forming a beautiful crater lake. In the middle of this lake, there's an island called Calder Island. This island is actually a "central uplift."
What is a Central Uplift?
When a very large space rock hits Earth, it creates a huge impact. The ground bounces back up in the center, like a splash in water. This rebound forms a hill or mountain in the middle of the crater. This is called a central uplift. The Gow crater is the smallest known crater in Canada that has one of these cool uplift structures.
Gow's Neighbor: Deep Bay Crater
About 90 kilometers (or 56 miles) east of the Gow crater, there's an even bigger impact crater called the Deep Bay crater. This one is much older, from the Cretaceous period. It's interesting to have two large impact sites relatively close to each other!
