The Pingualuit crater in Canada is so large that it can be seen from space. Only the Inuit people, who live in the glaciers north of the province of Quebec, have known him for a long time. Meanwhile, the crater is relatively well researched – and the knowledge gained is one of the most amazing natural wonders of the earth.
In 1943, while flying over the sparsely populated Ungawa Peninsula in northern Quebec, US Air Force aircraft crew discovered a vast, almost entirely circular lake. As NASA The distance of the lake prevented geological travel until the 1950s. When the researchers finally managed to observe the abyss meticulously, the first photos were released to the public, and they wrote aloud. “BBCNewspapers around the world reported on the announcement of the Eighth Wonder of the World: Pingualuit Crater.
Measurements show that the crater is 3.44 km in diameter and 400 m deep. The lake in the abyss is 267 meters deep at its deepest point, more than 15 meters deeper than Lake Constance. Of course, the researchers were primarily interested in how this large, almost circular lake formed. By analyzing all sorts of measurements on the rock and the abyss and around it, scientists were finally able to come up with a scenario for the abyss to form.
How the Pingualuit Groove formed
Approximately 1.4 million years ago and during the Pleistocene geological epoch, a large meteorite struck from space. According to NASA, the meteorite evaporated in an explosion that melted thousands of tons of rock and destroyed all life within hundreds of kilometers of the crater.
According to NASA, the special feature of the lake is that it has no water supply or discharge. The only source of water is rainfall, and water loss can only occur through evaporation. The salinity is very low and it is one of the clearest lakes in the world. Hence the Inuit called it the “Nunavik Crystal Eye” (Nunavic is the name of a region in northern Quebec). In 1999 it was given its current name, Pingualuit Greater, which roughly translates to “landing place”.
Surrounded by a nearly moon-like surface, the Pingualuit crater is filled with crystal-clear water that is covered in ice for nine months of the year. This unusually quiet place is considered by the Inuits to be a place of intense power, where one revives oneself. To preserve this unique place, Pingualuit National Park was established in 2004 around the abyss.
Even more interesting: the giant crater in Siberia, which continues to grow
Visit Pingualuit Greater
Those interested can take guided trekking tours or climb the Pingualuit Crater on their own, which is best done during the snow-free summer months. The park administration, however, makes it clear that you must be in good physical condition and not subject yourself to unnecessary risks for non-guided inspection. This is especially true during the winter months.
“Communicator. Entrepreneur. Introvert. Passionate problem solver. Organizer. Social media ninja.”
More Stories
SWR and School of the Future / Journalist Frank Seibert looks for new school models in Dresden, Winnipeg (Canada) and Essen
New Law in Britain: Sunak's Rwanda Life Belt
Canada: Tusk: Idea of deploying nuclear weapons in Poland 'very serious'