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Chubb Crater - Part 10 of 12

The National Geographic Magazine, Vol. C1, No.1, January, 1952
Solving the Riddle of Chubb Crater
By V. Ben Meen - Director, Royal Ontario Museum of Geology and
Mineralogy


Last-minute Success

Between 5 o'clock and 7:30 they had run the magnetometer over the close
grid of stations which they had prepared in the morning. The survey had
defined the anomaly we had hoped would be there.
Positive evidence at last! The anomaly indicated an area elliptical in
shape and elongated east-west between the two highest peaks on the
crater's rim. From the shape of the underground mass and the character
of the magnetometer readings, it is highly improbable that it can be any
ordinary body of rock. The most likely explanation, I believe, is that
here lies a concentration of fragments from the exploded meteorite which
were hurled forward with tremendous force and buried deep in the granite
of the rim.
Besides our positive evidence from the magnetometer survey, we had
accumulated an impressive store of negative evidence, invaluable in
eliminating other known natural causes as the agents responsible for the
crater's origin. There is ironclad proof that volcanic action was not
involved; the rim and corrugated barrens are definitely not explained by
any rain of debris from a volcano.
Everything points to the fact that a terrific blast raised the whole
region bodily. The action of advancing and retreating glaciers would not
produce such an effect, nor leave such a symmetrical rim protruding in
the wastelands. Subterranean erosion likewise fails to account for our
geological phenomenon.
Even before we obtained our magnetometer evidence, the process of
elimination systematically scrapped these alternate theories.
Someday eventually someone may find meteoritic fragments or droplets on
the surface of Chubb's wide, encircling plain. Until then we must rely
on the weight of the magnetometer evidence, the striking similarity of
the crater to other proven meteorite scars, and the overwhelming absence
of geological clues that Chubb could have had any other origin.
Meanwhile, I am quite satisfied that the expedition achieved what it set
out to do.
Tuesday morning at 8, our incoming Canso reported by radio. Captain
Allard's voice sounded crisply from the receiver, "Doc, the crater's in
sight. We'll be down in 15 minutes."

Best wishes,

Bernd

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