Gordon Osinski
ON THE RECORD · 10 verbatim quotes · every quote source-verified
“You can melt literally tens of cubic kilometres of the Earth's crust when you get a big enough asteroid hitting,”
Gordon Osinski · said date not stated · reported 2026-07-16
Osinski told CBC that a large asteroid impact can melt tens of cubic kilometres of Earth's crust.
“The terrain was incredibly rough and rugged, plus [there were] lots of bugs.”
Gordon Osinski · said date not stated · reported 2026-07-16
Osinski described the harsh conditions of the October 2025 expedition to the site.
“Typically about 1 or 2 craters are discovered per year, but these are typically less than 5-10 km [3 to 6 miles] in size,”
Gordon Osinski · said date not stated · reported 2026-07-16
Osinski noted that newly discovered craters are typically small, making this large crater unusual.
“This is one of those rare examples that shows this is possible.”
Gordon Osinski · said date not stated · reported 2026-07-16
Osinski told Live Science this discovery is a rare case of a genuine crater found through public reporting.
“I get lots of messages from the public thinking they have found a crater and 99/100 turn out not to be the case,”
Gordon Osinski · said date not stated · reported 2026-07-16
Osinski told Live Science that most public submissions of suspected craters turn out not to be impact craters.
“This was one of the most arduous expeditions I’ve ever done — and I’ve done 25 expeditions to the Arctic and 6 continents,”
Gordon Osinski · said date not stated · reported 2026-07-16
Osinski described the October 2025 expedition to investigate the pit in Quebec as exceptionally difficult.
“[A crater of this size] is pretty rare.”
Gordon Osinski · said date not stated · reported 2026-07-16
Osinski said a crater of this size is uncommon compared to typical annual discoveries.
“Any crater discovered offers us insight into how craters form and the effects that they can have on Earth’s geology, biology, and climate,”
Gordon Osinski · said date not stated · reported 2026-07-16
Osinski told Live Science that any discovered crater provides insight into crater formation and effects on Earth.
“One of the key things we look for is evidence for shock metamorphism, which can only occur due to the immense pressures created by asteroid or cometary impacts — or nuclear explosions,”
Gordon Osinski · said date not stated · reported 2026-07-16
Osinski explained to Live Science via email what scientists look for to confirm a meteor impact crater.
“Most of these features are microscopic, so you can only confirm in the lab with samples.”
Gordon Osinski · said date not stated · reported 2026-07-16
Osinski noted that microscopic evidence of shock metamorphism requires lab analysis of samples.