Manicouagan crater facts for kids
The Manicouagan Crater is a huge, very old impact crater. It is located in the Côte-Nord area of Québec, Canada.
This giant crater was formed when a large asteroid hit the Earth. The asteroid was about 5 kilometers (3 miles) wide. This happened around 215.5 million years ago. This time period is known as the Upper Triassic.
The crater has many rings, like a target. It is about 100 kilometers (62 miles) wide. Its most famous part is the inner ring. This ring is a lake called the Manicouagan Reservoir. The lake is about 70 kilometers (43 miles) wide. It surrounds an island in the middle. This crater is the fifth largest confirmed impact crater on Earth.
A Chain of Impacts
The Manicouagan Crater might be part of a bigger event. It could be one of several craters formed at the same time. Scientists think an asteroid or comet broke into pieces. Then, these pieces hit Earth in different places.
Other craters that might be linked include:
- The Rochechouart crater in France
- The Saint Martin crater in Manitoba, Canada
- The Obolon' crater in Ukraine
- The Red Wing crater in North Dakota, USA
These five craters form a chain. This is similar to what happened when Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 hit Jupiter in 1994.
Scientists have studied glass found at these impact sites. They used special dating methods. This research suggests all these impacts happened around 215 million years ago. The chance of these craters lining up by accident is almost zero.
Images for kids
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The crater in winter, as seen from space
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Daniel-Johnson Dam, the primary dam on the Manicouagan Reservoir, supports the Manic-5 hydro-power station
See also
In Spanish: Lago Manicouagan para niños
