Mistastin crater is a meteorite crater in Labrador, Canada which contains the roughly circular Mistastin Lake.[3] The lake is approximately 16 km (9.9 mi) in diameter, while the estimated diameter of the original crater is 28 km (17 mi). The age of the crater is calculated to be 36.6 ± 2 million years (Eocene).[4]

Mistastin crater

Impact crater/structure
Confidence	Confirmed[1]
Diameter	19 kilometres (12 mi)
Age	36.6 ± 2 million years old (Eocene Epoch)
Exposed	Yes
Drilled	Yes
Location
Location	Labrador, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Coordinates	55°53′N 63°18′W
Mistastin crater Location of the Mistastin crater in Newfoundland and Labrador
Topo map	Canada NTS 13M14 Mistastin Lake

Mistastin Lake
Mistastin Lake
Coordinates	55°53′N 63°18′W
Type	Impact crater lake
Basin countries	Canada
Max. length	19 km (12 mi)
Max. width	12 km (7.5 mi)
Surface area	145 km2 (56 sq mi)
Surface elevation	338 metres (1,109 ft)
Islands	Mishta-minishtikᐡ[2]

Formation and geology

Mistastin crater was created 36 million years ago by a violent asteroid impact.[5] The presence of cubic zirconia around the crater rim suggests that the impact generated temperatures in excess of 2,370 °C (4,300 °F) — roughly 43% that of the surface of the Sun and the highest crustal temperatures known on Earth[5]  — and produced global changes that lasted for decades after the impact.

Mishta-minishtikᐡ, the lake's arcuate central island, is interpreted to be the central uplift of the complex crater structure. The target rocks were part of a batholith composed of adamellite, mangerite and lenses of anorthosite. There are abundant shock metamorphic features exhibited in the rocks of the island. Planar deformation features, diaplectic glass, melt rocks, and shatter cones have been identified.

References

Further reading

• Currie, K.L. (1968) "Mistastin Lake, Labrador: A new Canadian crater". Nature, v. 220, pp. 776–777.
• Currie, K.L. Larochelle, A. (1969) "A paleomagnetic study of volcanic rocks from Mistastin Lake, Labrador, Canada". Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v. 6, pp. 309–315.
• Currie, K.L. (1971) "Geology of the resurgent cryptoexplosion crater at Mistastin Lake, Labrador". Geological Survey of Canada Bulletin 207, 62 p.
• Currie, K.L. (1971) "The composition of anomalous plagioclase glass and coexisting plagioclase from Mistastin Lake, Labrador, Canada". Mineralogical Magazine, v. 38, pp. 511–517.
• Grieve, R.A.F. (1975) "Petrology and chemistry of the impact melt at Mistastin Lake crater, Labrador". Geological Society of America Bulletin 86, pp. 1617–1629.
• Mak, E.K.C. York, D., Grieve, R.A.F. and Dence, M.R. (1976) "The age of the Mistastin Lake crater, Labrador, Canada". Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v. 31, pp. 345–357.
• Marchand, M. Crocket, J.H. (1977) "Sr isotopes and trace element geochemistry of the impact melt and target rocks at the Mistastin Lake crater, Labrador". Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, v. 41, pp. 1487–1495.

External links

• Aerial Exploration of the Mistastin Structure

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На других языках

[de] Mistastin Lake

[fr] Cratère de Mistastin