On June 20, 1943, Pingualuit Crater (formerly known as Chubb Crater and as the New Quebec Crater) was first photographed by a U.S. Army Air Force crew during a meterological flight over northern Quebec. Formed approximately 1.4 million years ago by a meteorite impact, the 2.1-mile-wide (3.4 kilometers) crater has an unusually circular shape resulting from a near-vertical strike. Subsequent geological expeditions and studies of impactite from the crater’s rim revealed shock metamorphism (changes to rocks due to the extreme pressure and temperature of impact) and planar deformation features (microscopic layers within mineral, formed due to impact shock), and indicated the presence of iron, nickel, cobalt, and chronium from the meteorite. These insights led to the identification of over 20 other craters in eastern Canada, enhancing understanding of impact events. Pingualuit’s preservation and comparative youth also provide a significant record of environmental history.
