Corossol Structure, Sept Iles Harbour, Gulf of St Lawrence, Canada

Higgins et al. (2011) reported a new suspected impact crater near
Sept Iles Harbour, Gulf of St Lawrence, Canada at 50°3’N, 66°23’W.
It is about 4 km in diameter and has “a central uplift that rises to 
about -70 m and an annular valley ~160 m deep.”  They report 
finding “planar deformation features,” “phosphatic/sulphide melts,” 
“suevite,” and other possible impact related materials. This is
certainly a promising structure.

Although the title of the abstracts indicates that it is Pleistocene 
in age, the age of this feature remains uncertain and could possibly 
be anytime between 13,000 BP and Ordovician in age. It is still 
possible that this is a pre-Pleistocene exhumed landform. The 
paucity of sediments within the structure is not necessarily an 
indication of its age. This could simply mean that the center of 
the structure has been scoured out as the result of differential 
erosion of the different strata composing it.

This fascinating structure definitely deserves further additional 
research and publication of additional full-fledged papers 
containing detailed information about its structure, age, origin, 
characteristics, and evidence for hypervelocity impact. 

References Cited,

Higgins M. D., P. Lajeunesse, G. St-Onge, J. Locat, M. 
Duchesne, J. Ortiz, and R. Sanfacon, 2011, Bathymetric and 
Petrological Evidence for a Young (Pleistocene?) 4-km 
Diameter Impact Crater in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, 
Canada. 42nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 
(2011), Abstract #1504.
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2011/pdf/1504.pdf

 

“The Corossol Crater is a complex crater ~4 km in diameter 
with a central uplift, a prominent moat, and multiple, 
low-relief ridges. The minimum age is ~13 ka. The impact 
origin is confirmed by a sample of suevite”

Best wishes,

Paul