Amateur Satellite Mapper Discovers 25-km Quebec Impact Crater

The discovery of the Uhackatik structure in Quebec began with a camping trip. Joël Lapointe, an amateur exploring satellite maps near Lake Marsal, noticed a circular relief that suggested a dormant crater. Until then, geologists attributed the local breccias to volcanism. Existing maps identified the area as a diatreme-a conduit formed by explosive magma ascent. To test the impact hypothesis, planetary scientist Gordon Osinski from Western University led a field expedition to the remote Côte-Nord region in October 2025. Osinski looked for shatter cones-distinct rock deformations created only by extreme shock waves. These structures serve as a physical signature of a cosmic collision, distinguishing an impact event from volcanic activity.