14-Pingualuit Crater Hike around the exceptional meteoritic crater Pingualuit (17 km). The Torngat Mountains and Pingualuit Crater in Nunavik impress with their absolutely surreal landscapes. Pingualuit Crater is one of the deepest lakes in North America. The Pingualuit Crater, which from Inuit translates to “pimple,” is surrounded by the incredible moon-like landscape of Pingualuit National Park, in northern Quebec.. We were off the ground at Kuujjuaq around 3PM with the Chubb Crater, a major attraction (for us!) Scientific American 184: 64–69. Pingualuit Crater (Parc national des Pingualuit) Heading north to the region of Nunavik, Pingualuit Crater trail is relatively easy and only 2.5km, but its remote location makes it difficult to reach the trail … It was thrilling to see Chuck’s 50 year old dream come true. METEORITICS, v. 27, pp. B., Kring, D. A., Authentication controversies and impactite petrography of the New Quebec Crater. REDDIT/Ak3ron Pingualuit Crater . Meen, V. B., Chubb Crater – A meteor crater. I could not use my airplane for the final leg of this trip due to the weight and fuel constraints caused by the extra bulk of our camping gear. After a short break at the top of the crater, the group headed down to the lake, where they listened to the remaining ice crackle under the warm rays of the sun. 74-78. We were finally looking at the lake and were surrounded by the crater walls. The craters discovered through the program fit well on the Baldwin curve relating crater depth to diameter, and lent strong support to the argument for the relationship between the meteoritic origin of lunar craters and terrestrial impact structures. 26, March 1991, p. 31-39. Up until 1962, the Pingualuit Meteorite Crater was classified as “only a possible impact crater” based on its morphology. Charest highlighted the importance of promoting and protecting the Pingualuit crater, formerly called the New Québec crater. Pingualuit Crater in Quebec's Nunavik region, one of the youngest and best preserved craters on the planet, is 2.1 miles across, a quarter mile deep, and rises 175 yards above the tundra. Lake Couture (another impact structure) is visible as the open water to the lower left centre. In this picture you can see two very happy explorers savouring the moment, all our planning has finally come true!! In 2005 I contacted Charles O’Dale to make a trip to the crater. I don’t know if the shape of the crater has this acoustic property but it is one of the quietest places outdoors I have ever experienced. When we initially approached the Pingualuit Crater on my aerial exploration, the structure first appeared as a small hill on the horizon. V. Ben Meen, the Director of the Royal Ontario Museum of Geology and Mineralogy in Toronto, however, suspected it was an impact crater caused by a meteorite. We never did see a caribou herd. The sediment core contains mostly faintly laminated silts or sandy mud with frequent pebble-size rock fragments, which is typical of deposits found in water bodies covered by an ice sheet. The newly recovered samples have cryptocrystalline to microcrystalline matrices with microlites of andesine and pigeonite. Stand on the edge of precipitous volcanic craters that plunge deep into the earth below; Climb through a segment of a lava tube; Time: Tour is approx. I tried and didn’t even get close to hitting the water! Impact melt is a good indicator of an impact site. The crater itself was a most impressive sight. Hike around the Merewether Crater to try to unravel its mystery. A number of considerations suggest that the impact melt rocks were originally deposited in fractures in the crater wall and later transported to their discovery site by glacial ice and melt water (Grieve et al, 1991). They travelled to the site in a PBY Catalina flying boat in July 1951, landing on nearby Museum Lake. Lowering their equipment through the ice, scientists reached into the extreme depths of the lake bottom to extract a nine-metre sediment core. away. Originating between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter 1.4 million years ago, this meteorite, some 100 m (328 ft.) in diameter, left a crater that’s 3.4 km (2.1 mi.) The Pingualuit Crater (French: Cratère des Pingualuit; from Inuit "pimple"),[2] formerly called the "Chubb Crater" and later the "New Quebec Crater" (French: Cratère du Nouveau-Québec), is a relatively young impact crater located on the Ungava Peninsula in the administrative region of Nord-du-Québec, in Quebec, Canada. In the late 1950’s I saw Dr. Meen on our old black and white TV when he appeared on a CBC television program describing his expedition to the then named Chubb Crater. It is the ultimate eco-tourism destination. The walk from the base camp adjacent Lac Laflamme to the north rim of the crater is about a 45 minute walk through a wide expanse of boulders, potholes and streams. So in August 2008, after a round-about trip flying in my airplane from Ottawa to Kuujjuaq, then air-chartering via Kangiqsujuaq, we finally arrived at our destination, the Pingualuit Impact Crater. More info. We did this on the ground using Eric’s canoe and, from the air using my airplane. Discover our northest National Park : parc national des Pingualuit. Pingualuit Crater (Parc national des Pingualuit) Region: Nunavik (c) TQ, Mathieu Dupuis via quebecoriginal.com. More info. In addition to planning in advance for fuel stops, we had more than the recommended amount of survival gear on board. Pingualuit usually has open water for just six-to-eight weeks in August and September. Thanks to Charles O’Dale I was able to see Pingualuit and my dream also came true. The 267 m-deep (876 ft) Pingualuk Lake fills the hollow, and is one of the deepest lakes in North America. The water was nicknamed “The Crystal Eye” by Inuit long ago because the water is crystaline–tasteless, odorless, colourless and salt-free. Beautiful Places. Formed after a catastrophic volcanic eruption about 800 years ago, this watery caldera is well on its way to becoming a prime tourist destination. I am thankful to have visited those sites before Pingualuit because I gained much knowledge and perspective on meteor impacts that were helpful in appreciating its unique nature. Rock Ptarmigan and Cottontail can be seen at the base of the crater. Would have loved to take pictures of children playing with husky puppies and mothers in Inuit coats carrying babies on their backs, but that would have been rude. Several small boats with outboard engines were pulled up on the shore. This included leading us to the only safe descent to the enclosed lake. This is what led him to believe kimberlite and possibly diamonds would be found. a 40Ar-39Ar dating method of the impact melt rocks determined the age of the impact to be 1.4 million years. It is vesicular in nature and does not look like any of the other rocks. The Torngat Mountains and Pingualuit Crater in Nunavik impress with their absolutely surreal landscapes. The distance to the crater from Kuujjuaq (formerly Fort Chimo), our only reliable source of fuel in that area, demanded that I make exact calculations of fuel burn, fuel load and payload to ensure a safe flight between available airports. Meen led two expeditions to the crater in 1950 and 1951. With its immense volume, it is slow to freeze and thaw. I just could not get enough of this crater. Having had Arctic survival training with the military, and now again experiencing this type of desolate terrain, I stated to our Inuit guides how respectful I am toward their ancestors in that they could successfully support and feed a family in this type of geography. Ontario diamond prospector Frederick W. Chubb became interested by the strange terrain shown in the photographs and sought the opinion of geologist V. Ben Meen of the Royal Ontario Museum. Unlike most impact sites, Pingualuit is a testament to the awesome force of a cosmic collision. Pingualuit Crater -Parc national des Pingualuit, QC. D = 0.1083d2 + 0.6917d + 0.75 An experience they will no doubt have any trouble sharing with their readers! This hike is not too challenging until the 3rd waterfall which you climb up to get to the ridge portion of the hike. I saw snowgeese and other birds I couldn’t identify. Depending on the weather, you will hike to the crater (2,5 km to the top, 4 km to the water or 17 km to make the full circle). 169-180. Koko Crater, Oahu, Hawaii. Trek on the peaks of the Domes, to discover the landscapes contrasted by a green valley, with long sandy beaches and turquoise and aqua marine waters. Dive into a wild adventure in the great outdoors sea kayaking or white-water rafting, or stay on dry land and head out hiking, mountaineering, backcountry skiing or snowshoeing. METEORITICS, v. 2, pp. I heard that more recently a Beaver floatplane had landed on it as well. A wonderful hike to the charismatic environment that the Pingualuit meteor crater is with a group of journalists from around the world taking part in a GoMedia post tour in Nunavik. Pierre-Arnaud Desiage, Patrick Lajeunesse, Guillaume St-Onge, Alexandre Normandeau, Grégoire Ledoux, Hervé Guyard, Reinhard Pienitz, Video of my Pingualuit overflight in GOZooM (Pingualuit Crater @ 6:30), Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada – Pingualuit, Crater of Cosmic Proportions – Smithsonian Air&Space, The Planetary Society – Crater Exploration with the RASC. Stepwise 40Ar-39Ar dating using a laser on three chips from three samples give integrated ages of 0.6–2.5 Ma. “Pingualuit” is the Inuktitut term for skin blemishes caused by cold weather. A Toronto newspaper correspondent on a 1950 expedition called it "the eighth wonder of the world." I crawled on the ground and looked at the miniscule. The lake within the crater only became visible when we climbed over the flat peak of the rim. It was obvious we were visitors of course and most gave us friendly waves and smiles. This natural wonder was formed by a meteorite plummeting from space over one and a half million years ago. These rock fragments cover the ground completely for a distance of nearly 5 km beyond the rim. The hike around the crater took most of the day and I have to say it was not one of the easiest of hikes that I have experienced. A group of travel writers and operators from the United Kingdom hike to Nunavik’s Pingualuit crater last week — one of the highlights of their July 24 to July 30 trip to Nunavik. The discovery of the crater led to the development of a program at the Dominion Observatory in Ottawa to search for additional impact craters on the Canadian Shield, and the development of valuable criteria by which they could be authenticated. Pingualuit Crater (pictured) Parc national des Pingualuit, QC. [7] Meen led a second expedition to the crater in 1954. Only by carrying extra fuel on board were we able to spend less than 20 minutes orbiting the Pingualuit Impact Crater and safely make it to one of the remote airports in the area (see below for Terry Peters’ description of our flight over the crater). The crater is exposed to the surface, rising 160 m (520 ft) above the surrounding tundra, and is 400 m (1,300 ft) deep. During the short preliminary investigation no meteorites (or diamonds) were found among the boulders on the rim or on the surrounding plain. The lake is not connected to the regional drainage system. Professor Reinhard Pienitz of Laval University led a 2007 expedition to the crater which extracted sediment cores from the bottom of the lake, which were filled with fossil pollen, algae, and insect larvae. During my exploration of the Pingualuit Crater, I specifically searched for any evidence of shatter cones. The basin created at the time of the meteor impact is now filled with ... National Parks . The best time to visit the Cyprus Lake Grotto is in the spring or fall when the hiking trails and parking lots in the area are not too crowded. Without this “fuel stop” we would not have made it back to our point of departure, Kuujjuaq, as aviation fuel was not available north of Kuujjuaq. We spent four days of exploration there living our dream. Our first day at the crater consisted of setting up our camp site and doing a reconnaissance of the local terrain. I am not a hiker. It was hoped that these finds would yield information about climate change dating back to the last interglacial period 120,000 years ago. It was first recognized as an impact structure in 1950. After three years we finally found a way to Pingualuit which we regard as the Shangri-la of impact craters. Chubb Crater is of historical importance because it was the first meteorite crater to be recognized in Canada, and the first anywhere to be authenticated in the absence of associated meteorites. These features were caused by the collision of large meteorites or comets with the Earth. The outside rim is covered with a jumbled heap of large fragments of granite blocks. The Pingualuit Crater is recognized as a geographically fascinating place you have to explore and see. Despite early opposition and the initial absence of corroborative field evidence, he held on to a persistent belief in the crater’s meteoritic origin. This lake has incredible transparency and contains some of the purest freshwaters in the world, salinity level is less th… They contained mineral and lithic clasts, some of which showed diagnostic shock-produced Planar Deformation Features in quartz. Besides, general aviation aircraft are not allowed to land in the park. This hypothesis has since been proven wrong. Inside the crater is pristine Pingualuit Lake. Perhaps the most far-flung and expensive hike in Quebec, a trip to the Pingualuit Crater should be at the top of your lifelong bucket list. We picked Salluit to land, refuel and to spend the night because it was safely in range of our remaining fuel. I would recommend anyone wishing to visit Pingualuit to do some research and possibly visit other impact sites before going there. I had a very spiritual feeling gazing at this old camp-site trying to picture the family that survived here. A vast boreal landscape with a … A vast boreal landscape with a centuries-old crater awaits you in Nunavik. General Area: North of the tree-line in an area of subdued topography in the Canadian Shield. our warm cabins and … This closed system has developed its own local ecosystem, including fish with very large heads, which have adapted to minimal food sources. Beyond Pingualuit crater, the parc national des Pingualuit is flat and amazingly regular. Pingualuit Crater (pictured) Parc national des Pingualuit, QC. When we arrived at the vicinity of the crater, the height of the rim and the depth of the crater were exemplified when the lake that filled the crater suddenly became visible from behind the crater rim only when we were about a kilometer away! A wonderful hike to the charismatic environment that the Pingualuit meteor crater is with a group of journalists from around the world taking part in a GoMedia post tour in Nunavik. So you cannot find the answer to today’s clue Pingualuit crater, formerly. Mr. Eric Kujala, a fellow RASC member, contacted me after he had read my original article (above) to inquire about my future exploration plans to the crater. I studied the shape of the crater carefully and observed the different textures and colors which were different from what I had seen in photographs. It would have been nice to have landed and visited it on foot but this was a pretty unfriendly and desolate place. During my ground expedition to the crater a few years later, I actually did try and throw a rock into the water from the top of the crater rim. [11] They presented evidence of shock metamorphism, which is consistent with similar impact crater sites. An analysis of these rocks also revealed planar deformation features as well as the composition of the meteorite itself. Marvin, U. Baldwin’s first equation was Grieve R.A.F., Impact structures in Canada, Geological Association of Canada, 2006. Known as Northern Quebec’s Arctic region, among other attractions Nunavik has countless lakes sculpted by glaciers, as well as Pingualuit Crater. Parc national des Pingualuit. The only animals we saw were the caribou which roam the crater. None of them resembled what I saw on Pingualuit. [4], Once largely unknown to the outside world, the lake-filled crater had long been known to local Inuit, who knew it as the "Crystal Eye of Nunavik" for its clear water. Advertisement. About 5 km east of the crater I was fortunate to find a large example of highly shocked and melted impactite (illustrated image left – the caribou antler placed on the impactite is for scale). E = –0.097D2 + 1.542D – 1.841 Previously, only two small samples of impact melt rocks were known. Nicolaysen, L. O., Reimold, W. U.; Vredefort shatter cones revisited – Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth (1978–2012) Volume 104, Issue B3, pages 4911–4930, 10 March 1999. Charles and I have explored many impact sites before. Only attempt this hike if you are physically fit and carrying the proper equipment. where E is the logarithm of the average height of the rim in feet and D is again the log diameter in feet. This made it a challenge to safely climb up the 100m, 10° slope. The crater rim is over 100 metres above the surface of the enclosed lake with a pitch of 40 to 45 degrees down to the water. If it is conclusively shown to be meteoritic, it is the largest yet found on Earth. But the site also boasts an incredible history. Pingualuit impactite originated from dike bodies in the crater rim, was eroded and carried 3-4 km north of the crater by water action (Grieve 2006). Meen, V. Ben. Slickenside is a smoothly polished surface caused by frictional movement between rocks along the two sides of a fault. We walked down into the settlement (2 miles or so from the airport – elevation 740ft) on a densely packed gravel road, designed to hold up against the permafrost. The Ka’au Crater trailhead is about a 15-minute drive from Waikiki. Enjoy your summer hikes, everyone! Rainbow Lakes is an easy day-trod, though there is a wilderness campground along the six-kilometre route. It is in fact a very young and small compared to most. = north of 60!) The boulders on the slope are very unstable making it unsafe for a descent to the lake at this point. We must have spent nearly 45 minutes circling it to take photos and video before leaving for Salluit, about 40 min. WHERE IS KA’AU CRATER TRAIL. In 2008, I flew my airplane to Kuujjuaq to catch a Twin Otter flight to the crater. Some houses are being built a mile or so inland since there is no more room to expand the present housing area.The uphill walk back to the airport gave us more than enough exercise at the end of a long day. And we did land with the predicted fuel safety margin. These craters all produce negative gravity fields due to the low density fragmental rock underlying them and the expanded crustal rocks forming their rims (Innes 1964). It has also provided useful information about climate changes during the last ice age. The Pingualuit Crater trail includes a massive crater lake that locals call "The Crystal Eye of Nunavik." Website. There were frequent gullies that we had to traverse along the lip of the rim. The crater itself is part of the Pingualuit National Park, an 82-kilometre protected wildlife refuge. wide. Although they keep some distance from humans they are easily visible and leave many tracks. For more Quebec hiking experiences, visit the Tourism Quebec website. “Pingualuit Crater Lake is always the last to freeze in the winter and the last to melt in the spring.” Still, Pienitz found it surprising that the crater lakes were ice-free so late in November. Caribou tracks were visible all over the place, but not a caribou to be seen. An account of the discovery and exploration of the two mile crater on the barrens near Hudson Bay. We will begin our 350km adventure at Pingualuit* Crater, where we will hike the perimeter of this isolated 1.4 million year old meteor impact crater in Nunavik, North (waaay north! It is August and yes that is snow in the background! As was found in the gravity investigations of the Brent, Holleford and Barringer meteorite craters, the negative anomaly field is most likely the expression of low-density fragmental material underlying the crater floor. These impactites were transported there by glaciation. We traveled there via a chartered twin otter. We saw a few 4-wheel dune buggies and one or two mopeds and small motorcycles. Dr. Meen estimated that since there were no Inuit legends about the structure, the impact of the meteorite must have occurred at least 3,000 years ago. METEORITICS, vol. A flight to that remote area of the Quebec Arctic is not a trivial expedition and Terry’s flying expertise was very welcome. In addition I experienced a close encounter with a few caribou and found an old Inuit campsite. This natural wonder was formed by a meteorite plummeting from space over one and a half million years ago. The crater is 3.4km in diameter, 400m deep, and its water’s purity is world renowned. Pingualuit National Park. Length: 2.5 km. [6] Attempts to find fragments of nickel-iron from the meteorite using mine detectors lent by the US Army were unsuccessful due to the area's granite containing high levels of magnetite. N 61° 17′ W 73° 40′. This list includes all 60 confirmed impact craters in North America in the Earth Impact Database (EID). The clarity of the water in the Pingualuit Crater was tested with a Secchi disc and has been documented to have a visibility of over 30 metres! More info. It is one of the most transparent lakes in the world, with a Secchi diskvisible more than 35 m (115 ft) deep. I smelled things. Astrogeologic Studies Semiannual Progress Report, Feb.-Aug., 1961, pp. The rock maybe got a third of the way down to the water!! 2009, Exploring the Pingualuit Impact Crater, Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 103 #2, 61-64. However, Meen's knowledge of Canadian geology tentatively ruled out a volcanic origin. It is dangerous to descend to the lake – there is only one place where one can access the water safely. The Inuktitut term for "skin blemish" is "Pingualuit," which makes it a fitting name for this pimple-shaped impact crater in Quebec. It was formed by a meteorite crash 1.4 million years ago, making it one of the oldest lakes and best-preserved craters in the world. drum for $500 (2001 dollars!). Length: Two hours. Perhaps another time on floats or with large tundra tires!! Three years later Canadian geologist Richard A. F. Grieve listed New Quebec among the 130 known terrestrial impact craters. For three different weekends in July and August, Nunavimmiut can hike the crater at Pingualuit; explore the Qurlutuarjuq falls along the Koroc River or visit the cuestas in Richmond Gulf at Tursujuq. Western Australia Travel. In 1948, the Royal Canadian Air Force covered the same remote area as part of its program of photomapping Canada, though these photographs were not made publicly available until 1950. [5] Preliminary results show that the upper 8.5-metre (28 ft) sediment core contains records of two interglacial periods. Mineral clasts of quartz and feldspar occur and, in some cases, show shock metamorphic features. Travel time round-trip is less than 1 hour. During the three years that we were investigating ways to get to Pingualuit, we explored many other impact craters. 15-Les Domes. The walls of the second stories are all painted bright blue, green or red, with the ground floor generally white. My video and still cameras were constantly active. Ships still bring in supplies during the relatively short ice-free period in the summer. Popular: Booked by 5,237 travellers! In the final stretch I kept my head up and eagerly looked for the top so I could finally see inside the crater. Parc national des Pingualuit. His second equation was In this article I mentioned the village of Salluit, about 200 km north of Lac Couture, where we refueled and spent a cold August night. It’s hard for me to imagine living in such isolation, but the Inuit have lived here for centuries. The Barringer Crater is 1.19 km diameter and Pingualuit is 3.44 km diameter. Ultimate Circle Island Adventure with Waimea Waterfall. Petrographic analysis of this sample was conducted at the Harvard – Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and reported to the 51st Meteoritical Society in 1988 by Ursula Marvin and David Kring. Our fuel endurance allowed a maximum of 45 minute hang time over the crater. Abstract : In contrast, striations on shatter cone surfaces are distinctly rounded (Nicolaysen and Reimold, 1999). Our exploration of the Pingualuit Impact Crater and local area was very rewarding, an experience Eric and I will treasure the rest of our lives (O’Dale 2009). I tucked my tent behind a fairly large rock for shelter from the gusting winds (they were steady at 20 knots+). There were almost no insects. The lake has no exterior drainage. Where: Nunavik, QC. And all the gravel streets are laid out in neat rows. Dr. Meen returned the following year in an expedition sponsored by the National Geographic Society. Pingualuit impactite contains enrichments in Ir, Ni, Co and Cr suggesting that the impacting body was chondritic in composition with siderophile element enrichment (Grieve 1991). From this discovery, Pingualuit was reclassified as a “probable” impact site. All our planning efforts changed with the November 2007 opening of the Parc National des Pingualuit. Diamond Head Crater Hiking Adventure. The 267 m-deep (876 ft) Pingualuk Lake fills the hollow, and is one of the deepest lakes in North America. I also have the utmost respect for past exploration teams who, day after day for months, walked to the crater rim from their base camp for their research. Aerial photographs of Chubb Crater, a striking 3.4 km-wide circular basin in the far north of Quebec, led the Ontario prospector Fred W. Chubb to think it might be an extinct volcano, and possibly the site of a diamond-bearing diatreme. That same year its name was changed to "Cratère du Nouveau-Quebec" ("New Quebec Crater") at the request of the Quebec Geographic Board. 515 reviews. On the aerial trip over the Pingualuit Crater, I was accompanied by Mr. Terry Peters, a personal friend and flying instructor. Inside the crater is Pingualuit Lake, which is known as "The Crystal Eye" by Inuit because of its exceptional purity.