For more than 40 years, scientists have tried to figure out what’s causing large parts of Canada, particularly the Hudson Bay region, to be “missing” gravity. In other words, gravity in the Hudson Bay area and surrounding regions is lower than it is in other parts of the world, a phenomenon first identified in the 1960s when the Earth’s global gravity fields were being charted.

Two theories have been proposed to account for this anomaly. But before we go over them, it’s important to first consider what creates gravity. At a basic level, gravity is proportional to mass. So when the mass of an area is somehow made smaller, gravity is made smaller. Gravity can vary on different parts of the Earth. Although we usually think of it as a ball, the Earth actually bulges at the Equator and gets flatter at the poles due to its rotation. The Earth’s mass is not spread out proportionally, and it can shift position over time. So scientists proposed two theories to explain how the mass of the Hudson Bay area had decreased and contributed to the area’s lower gravity.

One theory centers on a process known as convection occurring in the Earth’s mantle. The mantle is a layer of molten rock called magma and exists between 60 and 124 miles (100 to 200 km) below the surface of the Earth . Magma is extremely hot and constantly whirling and shifting, rising and falling, to create convection currents. Convection drags the Earth’s continental plates down, which decreases the mass in that area and decreases the gravity.

A new theory to account for the Hudson Bay area’s missing gravity concerns the Laurentide Ice Sheet, which covered much of present-day Canada and the northern United States. This ice sheet was almost 2 miles (3.2 km) thick in most sections, and in two areas of Hudson Bay, it was 2.3 miles (3.7 km) thick. It was also very heavy and weighed down the Earth. Over a period of 10,000 years, the Laurentide Ice Sheet melted, finally disappearing 10,000 years ago. It left a deep indentation in the Earth.

Read the rest of this fascinating article on howstuffworks.com

Locals in a small Canadian town have been stumped by the appearance of a bizarre creature, which was dragged from a lake.

The animal, which has a long hairy body with bald skin on its head, feet and face, has prompted wild internet speculation that it is a more evolved version of the famous ‘Montauk monster’.

The creature was discovered by two nurses in the town of Kitchenuhmaykoosib in Ontario, Canada, while out on a walk with their dog.

When the dog began sniffing in the lake, the two women started investigating, before the dog pulled the dead animal out.

After taking some photographs of the odd animal, the nurses left it alone. When locals decided to go back and retrieve the body, it has disappeared.

The photographs have now been posted on a local website, with an explanation which reads: ‘This creature was first discovered by Sam the Dog, a local dog.

‘It was discovered first week of May in the creek section of town, hikers noticed Sam sniffing something in the water and they approached to see in what the Sam had detected and they noticed the creature in the water face down.

Read more:

Daily Mail

“A mysterious looking body found along the shore of Okanagan Lake might be the remains of the legendary Ogopogo, an expert says.Dan Poppoff found the 1.2-metre-long carcass last month while he was kayaking in the lake, close to Kelowna.”

Could these remains really be that of Canada’s most famous lake monster?

Read more at Canada.com

This comes from a report from one of my favourite blogs around: Phantoms and Monsters

Canada’s most noteworthy and dramatic UFO report came out of Falcon Lake, Manitoba, on May 20, 1967.

Around noon on that day, an amateur geologist named Stephen Michalak was chipping rock samples when he was startled by the appearance of two red, cigar-shaped craft descending to the earth close to him. While one merely hovered briefly, then shot upward into the cloud cover, the other settled to the ground. It slowed and made a sound what Michalak said sounded like an engine.

As it cooled down, its color changed from red to gold. Michalak, who managed quickly to sketch what he was looking at, estimated the UFO to be 12 feet high and about 35 feet across at the base. His sketches included slots surrounding a dome-like projection at the top, and ventilation or exhaust grids along the sides. He also observed purplish light glowing through the side grates and a powerful odour of sulphur coming from the ship.

Suddenly, a hatch opened at the side of the UFO, and Michalak was able to make out voices just inside the hatchway. He tried calling out, in several different languages, to no avail, there was no response. He approached the craft, and the hatch shut abruptly, as though the UFO discouraged any further attempts at communication. The geologist was wearing heavy, protective clothing, including gloves and goggles. Still, he could detect warmth radiating off the structure’s surface. When he reached out to touch it, his glove melted. Then, without warning, Michalak was blown off his feet by a blast of incredible heat from one of the UFO’s side vents.

Read more of this amazing story at: Phantoms and Monsters: It Started At Falcon Lake: Southeast Manitoba’s Continued UFO Activity