In the story below on Coburn Gore, I was reminded of a geological formation that I have been wondering about for the past forty years. It is right over the border from Maine in Quebec. It appears to me to be a crater of sorts, but I have no idea what it is. Does anyone have any ideas?
I cited the Mapquest page for easy viewing. The formation is in the northwest quadrant just below Val-Racine.
Holly Macrel Merlin that is so cool, and you don't need a geologist to figure it out...I have wondered for a long time when the views from space were going to start spotting these. Our old quad maps had some hints, and you could cut and paste, and come up with something close. This little bugger is 4 miles across, and a little weak to the South side, but maybe a glacier had something to say about the shape. I wasn't able to get topography from the link, and would be curious about the verticle situations...on the inside of the circle is it deeper than the area outside the shape, and what is the make up of the splash zone. I know that I would like to visit the area at snow off this spring, who knows maybe some geologist would like the company of a surveyor or two....I volunteer Merlin, love to see the area!!!
Fascinating place, reminds me of Rich Mountain, Arkansas
Looks like volcanic activity to me, there are two other sites to the NNW showing similar features but not as prominent. Could be what formed that ridge.
jud
my first impression was that is was an ancient dormant volcano, but with a rise of about 1500' from the ground around to the center I guess that's out..
the surrounding elevations are about 1500'to 1800' and the center pops up at about 3,300', according to google earth...
Both: Let's talk after mud season. It sounds pretty interesting to me too.
According to various web sites, it's a national park with an observatory on one of three peaks withing the circle.
There's no mention that I could find regarding the shape or the origin.
It's the highest peak you can drive to in Quebec.
A. Harris' cite indicates that it possibly was volcanic activity some 125 million years ago when that section of Quebec was over the New England Hot Spots which are in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
