Saint Martin crater
Encyclopedia
Saint Martin is an impact
crater
in Manitoba
, Canada.
It is 40 km (24.9 mi) in diameter and its age is estimated at 220 ± 32 million years (Triassic
). The crater is not exposed at the surface.
, working with John Spray of the University of New Brunswick
and Simon Kelley of the Open University
, that the Saint Martin crater may have been part of a hypothetical multiple impact event which also formed the Manicouagan crater
in northern Quebec
, Rochechouart crater
in France, Obolon' crater
in Ukraine
, and Red Wing crater
in North Dakota
. All of the craters had previously been known and studied, but their paleoalignment had never before been demonstrated. Rowley has said that the chance that these craters could be aligned like this due to chance are nearly zero.
Impact crater
In the broadest sense, the term impact crater can be applied to any depression, natural or manmade, resulting from the high velocity impact of a projectile with a larger body...
crater
Impact crater
In the broadest sense, the term impact crater can be applied to any depression, natural or manmade, resulting from the high velocity impact of a projectile with a larger body...
in Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Canada.
It is 40 km (24.9 mi) in diameter and its age is estimated at 220 ± 32 million years (Triassic
Triassic
The Triassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about 250 to 200 Mya . As the first period of the Mesozoic Era, the Triassic follows the Permian and is followed by the Jurassic. Both the start and end of the Triassic are marked by major extinction events...
). The crater is not exposed at the surface.
Hypothetical multiple impact event
It has been suggested by Geophysicist David Rowley of the University of ChicagoUniversity of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, working with John Spray of the University of New Brunswick
University of New Brunswick
The University of New Brunswick is a Canadian university located in the province of New Brunswick. UNB is the oldest English language university in Canada and among the first public universities in North America. The university has two main campuses: the original campus founded in 1785 in...
and Simon Kelley of the Open University
Open University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
, that the Saint Martin crater may have been part of a hypothetical multiple impact event which also formed the Manicouagan crater
Manicouagan crater
The Manicouagan Crater is one of the oldest known impact craters and is located primarily in Manicouagan Regional County Municipality in the Côte-Nord region of Québec, Canada, about north of the city of Baie-Comeau. Its northernmost part is located in Caniapiscau Regional County Municipality...
in northern Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Rochechouart crater
Rochechouart crater
Rochechouart is an impact crater in France.The crater diameter is still under study but is expected to be about . Its most recent age estimate is 201 ±2 million years ago, placing it close to Triassic-Jurassic boundary. Since then the crater has been deeply eroded, and no trace of its original...
in France, Obolon' crater
Obolon' crater
Obolon' crater is a diameter buried meteorite impact crater situated about southeast of Kiev in Ukraine .The site has been drilled, which revealed the presence of shocked minerals and impact melt rock; the high chlorine content of the latter suggesting that the area was covered by shallow sea at...
in Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, and Red Wing crater
Red Wing crater
Red Wing or Red Wing Creek structure is a meteor crater located inMcKenzie County, North Dakota, about southwest of Watford City, North Dakota, United States....
in North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
. All of the craters had previously been known and studied, but their paleoalignment had never before been demonstrated. Rowley has said that the chance that these craters could be aligned like this due to chance are nearly zero.
External links
- Earth Impact Database
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_St._Martin
- http://www.canada.com/topics/technology/story.html?id=91dac574-d77d-4e4e-a670-46605b6c0380&k=26653
- http://www.manitoba.ca/iem/mrd/info/libmin/geos_vol13_no3.pdf
- http://ottawa-rasc.ca/wiki/index.php?title=Odale-Articles-StMartin#St._Martin_Impact_Structure