Paleontology and geologyThe supercontinent Pangea began to break up in the Triassic. Rift basins formed to the east as the Atlantic Ocean started to open up. Quebec remained above sea level during the Triassic, and erosion has removed most of the rocks from this period. One exception is the rocks surrounding Manicouagan Crater in central Quebec. One of the largest terrestrial impact craters, it formed when an asteroid 5 km in diameter hit the Earth about 214 Ma. The impact shattered and melted the Precambrian rocks and sent debris high up into the atmosphere. The altered and re-deposited rocks around the crater are mapped as Triassic. |