Kaali crater

Kaali crater
Kaali crater is located in Estonia
Kaali crater
Kaali crater
Impact location in Estonia
Impact crater/structure
ConfidenceConfirmed
Diameter110 m (360 ft)
Age3237+/-10 14C yr BP
Location
Coordinates58°22′22″N 22°40′10″E / 58.37278°N 22.66944°E / 58.37278; 22.66944
CountryEstonia
The crater as viewed from near the rim
The main crater is nearly circular. When the water level is low, rocks can be seen penetrating the surface: in the middle of the crater.
Tilted dolomite bedrock in the walls of the main crater

Kaali is a group of nine meteorite craters in the village of Kaali on the Estonian island of Saaremaa.[1] Most recent estimates put its formation shortly after 1530–1450 BC (3237+/-10 14C yr BP).[2] It was created by an impact event and is one of the few impact events that has occurred in a populated area (other ones are: Henbury craters in Australia and Carancas crater in Peru).

Before the 1930s, there were several hypotheses about the origin of the crater, including theories involving vulcanism and karst processes. Its meteoritic origins were first conclusively demonstrated by Ivan Reinvald[3] in 1928, 1933 and 1937.

  1. ^ "Kaalijärv". Earth Impact Database. Planetary and Space Science Centre University of New Brunswick Fredericton. Retrieved 2008-12-30.
  2. ^ Losiak, A.; Wild, E. M.; Geppert, W. D.; Huber, M. S.; Jõeleht, A.; Kriiska, A.; Kulkov, A.; Paavel, K.; Pirkovic, I. (2016-04-01). "Dating a small impact crater: An age of Kaali crater (Estonia) based on charcoal emplaced within proximal ejecta". Meteoritics & Planetary Science. 51 (4): 681–695. Bibcode:2016M&PS...51..681L. doi:10.1111/maps.12616. ISSN 1945-5100.
  3. ^ "Reinwald, Ivan - Eesti Entsüklopeedia".