Manicouagan Reservoir (also Lake Manicouagan) is an annular lake in central Quebec, Canada, covering an area of 1,942 km2 (750 sq mi). The lake island in its centre is known as René-Levasseur Island, and its highest point is Mount Babel. The structure was created 214 (±1) million years ago, in the Late Triassic, by the impact of a meteorite 5 km (3 mi) in diameter. The lake and island are clearly seen from space and are sometimes called the "eye of Quebec". The lake has a volume of 137.9 km3 (33.1 cu mi).[1][2]
The crater is a multiple-ring structure about 100 km (60 mi) across, with the reservoir at its 70 km (40 mi) diameter inner ring being its most prominent feature. It surrounds an inner island plateau called René-Levasseur Island and Mount Babel is the highest peak of the island, at 952 m (3,123 ft) above sea level and 590 m (1,936 ft) above the reservoir level. The Louis-Babel Ecological Reserve makes up the central part of the island.
Manicouagan Reservoir lies within the remnant of an ancient, deeply eroded impact crater (Impact structure). The crater was formed following the impact of an asteroid with a diameter of 5 km (3 mi), which excavated a crater originally about 100 km (62 mi) wide, although erosion and deposition of sediments have since reduced the visible diameter to about 72 km (45 mi). It is the Earth's sixth-largest confirmed impact structure according to rim-to-rim diameter.[4] Mount Babel is interpreted as the central peak of the crater, formed by post-impact uplift.
1992 radiometric dating has estimated that impact melt within the impact structure has an age of 214 ± 1 million years. A later estimate found an age of 215.4 ± 0.16 Ma.[5] As this is more than 12 million years before the end of the Triassic, the impact that produced the crater cannot have been the cause of the Triassic–Jurassic extinction event.[6][7]
Daniel-Johnson Dam, the primary dam on the Manicouagan Reservoir, supports the Manic-5 hydro-power station
The Manicouagan Reservoir as it presently exists was created in the 1960s, by flooding the earlier Lake Mushalagan (Mouchalagan) to the west of the central plateau and then-smaller Manicouagan to the east, by construction of the Daniel-Johnson dam.[12] The works were part of the enormous Manicouagan or Manic series of hydroelectric projects undertaken by Hydro-Québec, the provincial electrical utility. The complex of dams is also called the Manic-Outardes Project because the rivers involved are the Manicouagan and the Outardes.
The reservoir acts as a giant headpond for the Manicouagan River, feeding the Jean-Lesage generating station (Manic-2), René-Lévesque generating station (Manic-3), and Daniel-Johnson Dam (Manic-5) generating stations downstream. In the peak period of the winter cold, the lake surface is usually lower, since the turbines run all the time at peak load to meet the huge electrical heating needs of the province. The surface of the lake also experiences low levels in the extreme periods of heat in New England during the summer, since in that period Hydro-Québec sells electrical energy to the joint New England grid and individual utilities in the United States.
^"Impact Structures listed by Diameter (Increasing)". PASSC. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
^Jaret, Steven J.; Hemming, Sidney R.; Rasbury, E. Troy; Thompson, Lucy M.; Glotch, Timothy D.; Ramezani, Jahandar; Spray, John G. (1 November 2018). "Context matters – Ar–Ar results from in and around the Manicouagan Impact Structure, Canada: Implications for martian meteorite chronology". Earth and Planetary Science Letters. 501: 78–89. doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2018.08.016. ISSN 0012-821X. S2CID 134725972.
^Hodych, J.P.; G.R.Dunning (1992). "Did the Manicouagan impact trigger end-of-Triassic mass extinction?". Geology. 20 (1): 51.54. Bibcode:1992Geo....20...51H. doi:10.1130/0091-7613(1992)020<0051:DTMITE>2.3.CO;2.
^Ramezani, J., S. A. Bowring, M. S. Pringle, F. D. Winslow, III, and E. T. Rasbury (2005). "The Manicouagan impact melt rock: a proposed standard for intercalibration of U-Pb and 40Ar/39Ar isotopic systems". 15th V.M. Goldsmidt Conference Abstract Volume, p. A321.
^Spray, John G.; Kelley, Simon P.; Rowley, David B. (1998). "Evidence for a late Triassic multiple impact event on Earth". Nature. 392 (6672): 171–173. doi:10.1038/32397. S2CID 4413688.
^Steele, Diana (19 March 1998). "Crater chain points to impact of fragmented comet". University of Chicago Chronicle.
^Schmieder, Martin; Jourdan, Fred; Tohver, Eric; Cloutis, Edward A. (November 2014). "40Ar/39Ar age of the Lake Saint Martin impact structure (Canada) – Unchaining the Late Triassic terrestrial impact craters". Earth and Planetary Science Letters. 406: 37–48. doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2014.08.037.
^Cohen, Benjamin E.; Mark, Darren F.; Lee, Martin R.; Simpson, Sarah L. (August 2017). "A new high-precision 40 Ar/ 39 Ar age for the Rochechouart impact structure: At least 5 Ma older than the Triassic-Jurassic boundary". Meteoritics & Planetary Science. 52 (8): 1600–1611. doi:10.1111/maps.12880. hdl:10023/10787. S2CID 3521507.
^"Manicouagan Impact Structure". Crater Explorer. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
External linksEdit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Manicouagan Reservoir.
Manicouagan at Earth Impact Database
Manicouagan Impact Structure at Crater Explorer
Rowley, David. . Paleogeographic Atlas Project. University of Chicago. Archived from the original on 18 June 2007. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day: Manicouagan Impact Crater on Earth (13 December 2000)
Manicouagan Impact Crater from Space (2019 May 2)
Aurora and Manicouagan Crater from the Space Station (2018 May 29)
August 31, 2023
manicouagan, reservoir, also, lake, manicouagan, annular, lake, central, quebec, canada, covering, area, lake, island, centre, known, rené, levasseur, island, highest, point, mount, babel, structure, created, million, years, late, triassic, impact, meteorite, . Manicouagan Reservoir also Lake Manicouagan is an annular lake in central Quebec Canada covering an area of 1 942 km2 750 sq mi The lake island in its centre is known as Rene Levasseur Island and its highest point is Mount Babel The structure was created 214 1 million years ago in the Late Triassic by the impact of a meteorite 5 km 3 mi in diameter The lake and island are clearly seen from space and are sometimes called the eye of Quebec The lake has a volume of 137 9 km3 33 1 cu mi 1 2 Manicouagan ReservoirView from orbitManicouagan ReservoirShow map of QuebecManicouagan ReservoirShow map of CanadaLocationRiviere aux Outardes Manicouagan RCMRiviere Mouchalagane Caniapiscau RCM QuebecCoordinates51 07 38 N 68 44 50 W 51 12722 N 68 74722 W 51 12722 68 74722Lake typeannular lake reservoirPrimary outflowsManicouagan RiverCatchment area29 241 km2 11 290 sq mi Basin countriesCanadaSurface area1 942 km2 750 sq mi Average depth85 m 279 ft Max depth350 m 1 150 ft Water volume137 9 km3 33 1 cu mi 1 Residence time8 yearsShore length11 322 km 821 mi Surface elevation342 to 359 m 1 122 to 1 178 ft Dates 1980 to 2005 IslandsRene Levasseur Island minor islets1 Shore length is not a well defined measure Contents 1 Geography 2 Impact structure 2 1 Multiple impact event claims 3 Hydroelectric project 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksGeography Edit The crater in winter as seen from spaceThe reservoir is located in Manicouagan Regional County Municipality in the Cote Nord region of Quebec Canada 3 about 300 km 190 mi north of the city of Baie Comeau although its northernmost part is located in Caniapiscau Regional County Municipality Quebec Route 389 passes the eastern shore of the lake The crater is a multiple ring structure about 100 km 60 mi across with the reservoir at its 70 km 40 mi diameter inner ring being its most prominent feature It surrounds an inner island plateau called Rene Levasseur Island and Mount Babel is the highest peak of the island at 952 m 3 123 ft above sea level and 590 m 1 936 ft above the reservoir level The Louis Babel Ecological Reserve makes up the central part of the island Impact structure EditManicouagan Reservoir impact structureImpact crater structureConfidenceConfirmedDiameter100 km 62 mi originally 72 km 45 mi visible today Impactor diameter5 km 3 1 mi Age214 1 MaManicouagan Reservoir lies within the remnant of an ancient deeply eroded impact crater Impact structure The crater was formed following the impact of an asteroid with a diameter of 5 km 3 mi which excavated a crater originally about 100 km 62 mi wide although erosion and deposition of sediments have since reduced the visible diameter to about 72 km 45 mi It is the Earth s sixth largest confirmed impact structure according to rim to rim diameter 4 Mount Babel is interpreted as the central peak of the crater formed by post impact uplift 1992 radiometric dating has estimated that impact melt within the impact structure has an age of 214 1 million years A later estimate found an age of 215 4 0 16 Ma 5 As this is more than 12 million years before the end of the Triassic the impact that produced the crater cannot have been the cause of the Triassic Jurassic extinction event 6 7 Multiple impact event claims Edit It was suggested that the Manicouagan crater may have been part of a multiple impact event which also formed the Rochechouart impact structure in France the Saint Martin crater in Manitoba the Obolon crater in Ukraine and the Red Wing crater in North Dakota David Rowley a geophysicist with the University of Chicago working with John Spray of the University of New Brunswick and Simon Kelley of the Open University discovered that the five craters appeared to form a chain indicating the breakup and subsequent impact of an asteroid or comet 8 similar to the well observed string of impacts of Comet Shoemaker Levy 9 on Jupiter in 1994 9 However more recent work has found that the craters formed many millions of years apart with the Saint Martin crater dating to 227 8 1 1 Ma 10 While the Rochechouart structure formed 206 92 0 20 0 32 Ma 11 Hydroelectric project EditMain article Daniel Johnson dam Daniel Johnson Dam the primary dam on the Manicouagan Reservoir supports the Manic 5 hydro power stationThe Manicouagan Reservoir as it presently exists was created in the 1960s by flooding the earlier Lake Mushalagan Mouchalagan to the west of the central plateau and then smaller Manicouagan to the east by construction of the Daniel Johnson dam 12 The works were part of the enormous Manicouagan or Manic series of hydroelectric projects undertaken by Hydro Quebec the provincial electrical utility The complex of dams is also called the Manic Outardes Project because the rivers involved are the Manicouagan and the Outardes The reservoir acts as a giant headpond for the Manicouagan River feeding the Jean Lesage generating station Manic 2 Rene Levesque generating station Manic 3 and Daniel Johnson Dam Manic 5 generating stations downstream In the peak period of the winter cold the lake surface is usually lower since the turbines run all the time at peak load to meet the huge electrical heating needs of the province The surface of the lake also experiences low levels in the extreme periods of heat in New England during the summer since in that period Hydro Quebec sells electrical energy to the joint New England grid and individual utilities in the United States See also Edit Canada portal Water portal Renewable energy portal Manicouagan Uapishka Biosphere Reserve List of possible impact structures on Earth Wembo Nyama ring structureReferences Edit a b Hydro Quebec Cinq principaux reservoirs d Hydro Quebec Briney Amanda The World s Top Ten Largest Reservoirs by Volume About com Archived from the original on 4 February 2017 Retrieved 19 August 2010 Manicouagan Earth Impact Database Planetary and Space Science Centre University of New Brunswick Fredericton Retrieved 19 August 2009 Impact Structures listed by Diameter Increasing PASSC Retrieved 30 January 2020 Jaret Steven J Hemming Sidney R Rasbury E Troy Thompson Lucy M Glotch Timothy D Ramezani Jahandar Spray John G 1 November 2018 Context matters Ar Ar results from in and around the Manicouagan Impact Structure Canada Implications for martian meteorite chronology Earth and Planetary Science Letters 501 78 89 doi 10 1016 j epsl 2018 08 016 ISSN 0012 821X S2CID 134725972 Hodych J P G R Dunning 1992 Did the Manicouagan impact trigger end of Triassic mass extinction Geology 20 1 51 54 Bibcode 1992Geo 20 51H doi 10 1130 0091 7613 1992 020 lt 0051 DTMITE gt 2 3 CO 2 Ramezani J S A Bowring M S Pringle F D Winslow III and E T Rasbury 2005 The Manicouagan impact melt rock a proposed standard for intercalibration of U Pb and 40Ar 39Ar isotopic systems 15th V M Goldsmidt Conference Abstract Volume p A321 Spray John G Kelley Simon P Rowley David B 1998 Evidence for a late Triassic multiple impact event on Earth Nature 392 6672 171 173 doi 10 1038 32397 S2CID 4413688 Steele Diana 19 March 1998 Crater chain points to impact of fragmented comet University of Chicago Chronicle Schmieder Martin Jourdan Fred Tohver Eric Cloutis Edward A November 2014 40Ar 39Ar age of the Lake Saint Martin impact structure Canada Unchaining the Late Triassic terrestrial impact craters Earth and Planetary Science Letters 406 37 48 doi 10 1016 j epsl 2014 08 037 Cohen Benjamin E Mark Darren F Lee Martin R Simpson Sarah L August 2017 A new high precision 40 Ar 39 Ar age for the Rochechouart impact structure At least 5 Ma older than the Triassic Jurassic boundary Meteoritics amp Planetary Science 52 8 1600 1611 doi 10 1111 maps 12880 hdl 10023 10787 S2CID 3521507 Manicouagan Impact Structure Crater Explorer Retrieved 25 April 2017 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Manicouagan Reservoir Manicouagan at Earth Impact Database Manicouagan Impact Structure at Crater Explorer Rowley David Paleogeographic Atlas Project Pictures Paleogeographic Atlas Project University of Chicago Archived from the original on 18 June 2007 Retrieved 14 June 2013 NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day Manicouagan Impact Crater on Earth 13 December 2000 Manicouagan Impact Crater from Space 2019 May 2 Aurora and Manicouagan Crater from the Space Station 2018 May 29 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Manicouagan Reservoir amp oldid 1170911899, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
