Kaali crater

The impact is thought to have happened in the Holocene period, around 3,500 years ago.Bianca Mikovitš. [http://maaleht.delfi.ee/news/maaleht/uudised/teadlaste-too-tulemus-kaali-kraatri-vanuse-maaramisel-uhtib-vana-regilauluga?id=73512561 Teadlaste töö tulemus Kaali kraatri vanuse määramisel ühtib vana regilauluga] Maaleht, January 26, 2016 The estimates of the age of the Kaali impact structure (Saaremaa Island, Estonia) provided by different authors vary by as much as 6,000 years, ranging from ~6,400 to ~400 years before current era (BCE). Analysis of silicate spherules in Estonian bogs show that the possible age of the impact craters could be approximately 7,600 years.{{Cite journal|last=Raukas |first= A. | author-link = Anto Raukas|display-authors=etal|date=1995|title=On the age of the meteorite craters at Kaali (Saaremaa Island, Estonia)|journal=Proceedings of Estonian Academy of Sciences, Geology 44:177–183.}} A study based on elevated iridium signal in a nearby bog suggested the much younger age of 4th century BC.{{Cite journal|last1=Veski|first1=Siim|last2=Heinsalu|first2=Atko|last3=Kirsimäe|first3=Kalle|last4=Poska|first4=Anneli|last5=Saarse|first5=Leili|date=2001-10-01|title=Ecological catastrophe in connection with the impact of the Kaali meteorite about 800–400 B.C. on the island of Saaremaa, Estonia|journal=Meteoritics & Planetary Science|language=en|volume=36|issue=10|pages=1367–1375|doi=10.1111/j.1945-5100.2001.tb01830.x|issn=1945-5100|bibcode=2001M&PS...36.1367V|doi-access=free}} The craters were formed by a meteor with an estimated impact velocity of between {{cvt|10|and|20|km/s}} with a total mass of between 20 and 80 metric tonnes. According to some researchers the meteor arrived from the north-east.{{cite web|url=http://www.wondermondo.com/Countries/E/Estonia/Saaremaa/Kaali.htm|title=Kaali Crater|publisher=Wondermondo|date=2012-11-22}}

At an altitude of {{cvt|5|to|10|km|ft|-4|spell=in}}, the meteor broke into pieces and fell to the Earth in fragments, the greatest of which produced a crater with a diameter of {{cvt|110|m||}} and a depth of {{cvt|22|m||}}. The explosion removed approximately {{cvt|81000|m³||}} of dolomite and other rocks and formed a {{cvt|7|to|8|km|ft|-4}} tall, extremely hot gas flow. Vegetation was incinerated up to {{cvt|6|km||}} from the impact site.

Lake Kaali ({{langx|et|Kaali järv}}) is on the bottom of this crater. Eight smaller craters are also associated with this bombardment. Their diameters range from {{cvt|12|to|40|m}} and their respective depths vary from {{convert|1|to|4|m|ft|spell=in}}. They are all within {{convert|1|km|spell=in|}} of the main crater.

According to the theory of more recent impact, Estonia at the time of impact was in the Nordic Bronze Age and the site was forested with a small human population. The impact energy of about 80 TJ (20 kilotons of TNT) is comparable with that of the Hiroshima bomb blast. It incinerated forests within a {{cvt|6|km|spell=in|}} radius.{{cite journal

| title = Ecological catastrophe in connection with the impact of the Kaali meteorite about 800–400 BC on the island of Saaremaa, Estonia

|author1=Siim Veski |author2=Atko Heinsalu |author3=Kalle Kirsimäe |author4=Anneli Poska |author5=Leili Saarse | journal = Meteoritics & Planetary Science

| volume = 36

| issue = 3

| pages = 1367–1375

| year = 2001

| url = http://www.gi.ee/pdfid/10200.pdf

| doi = 10.1111/j.1945-5100.2001.tb01830.x|bibcode = 2001M&PS...36.1367V | doi-access = free}}

Scholars, such as Karl Kello,{{Cite book|last=Kello, Karl.|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/162329217|title=The pharaoh of the north|date=2005|publisher=Tallinna Raamatutrükikoda|isbn=9949-13-080-8|location=[Tallinn]|oclc=162329217}} maintain that the event featured prominently in regional mythology. It was, and still is, considered a sacred lake. There is archaeological evidence{{clarify|date=February 2020}} that it may well have been a place of ritual sacrifice. At some point during the early Iron Age, the lake was surrounded by a stone wall {{cvt|470|m||}} long, with a median width of about {{cvt|2.5|m|ft|}} and an average height of {{cvt|2.0|m|ft|}}.{{Citation needed|date=January 2011}}

Finnish mythology has stories that may originate with the formation of Kaali. One of them is in runes 47, 48 and 49 of the Kalevala epic: Louhi, the evil wizard, steals the Sun and fire from people, causing total darkness. Ukko, the god of the sky, orders a new Sun to be made from a spark. The virgin of the air starts to make a new Sun, but the spark drops from the sky and hits the ground. This spark goes to an "Aluen" or "Kalevan"{{cite book

| author = Lennart Meri

| author-link = Lennart Meri

| year = 1976

| title = Hõbevalge (Silverwhite)

| publisher = Eesti Raamat

| location = Tallinn, Estonia

| title-link =Silverwhite

}} lake and causes its water to rise. Finnish heroes see the ball of fire falling somewhere "behind the Neva River" (the direction of Estonia from Karelia). The heroes head in that direction to seek fire, and they finally gather flames from a forest fire.

According to a theory proposed by Lennart Meri, it is possible that Saaremaa was the legendary Thule island, first mentioned by ancient Greek geographer Pytheas, whereas the name "Thule" could have been connected to the Finnic word tule ("(of) fire") and the folklore of Estonia, which depicts the birth of the crater lake in Kaali. Kaali was considered the place where "The sun went to rest."

File:Kaali crater panorama.jpg

The asteroid 4227 Kaali is named after it. Except for their names, there is no connection between this asteroid and the crater.

In 2023, archaeologists analysed the Bronze Age Mörigen Arrowhead, found in Switzerland; it was made of meteoritic iron whose composition suggested its origin from the Kaali meteorite.{{Cite journal |last1=Hofmann |first1=Beda A. |last2=Schreyer |first2=Sabine Bolliger |last3=Biswas |first3=Sayani |last4=Gerchow |first4=Lars |last5=Wiebe |first5=Daniel |last6=Schumann |first6=Marc |last7=Lindemann |first7=Sebastian |last8=García |first8=Diego Ramírez |last9=Lanari |first9=Pierre |last10=Gfeller |first10=Frank |last11=Vigo |first11=Carlos |last12=Das |first12=Debarchan |last13=Hotz |first13=Fabian |last14=von Schoeler |first14=Katharina |last15=Ninomiya |first15=Kazuhiko |date=September 2023 |title=An arrowhead made of meteoritic iron from the late Bronze Age settlement of Mörigen, Switzerland and its possible source |journal=Journal of Archaeological Science |language=en |volume=157 |pages=105827 |doi=10.1016/j.jas.2023.105827|doi-access=free |bibcode=2023JArSc.157j5827H |hdl=20.500.11850/625369 |hdl-access=free }}

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite journal

| title = Kaali Craters of Estonia and Their Meteoritic Material

| author = Tiirmaa, R.

| journal = Meteoritics

| volume = 27

| issue = 3

| pages = 297

| year = 1992

| bibcode = 1992Metic..27Q.297T}}

• {{cite book

| title = The Structure and Age of the Kaali Main Crater, Island of Saaremaa, Estonia

|author1=Anto Raukas |author2=J.-M. Punning |author3=T. Moora |author4=Ü. Kestlane |author5=A. Kraut | journal = Impact Studies

| issue = 2

| pages = 341–355

| year = 2005

| doi = 10.1007/3-540-27548-7_13|isbn=978-3-540-24181-2 }}

{{Commons category|Kaali crater}}

• [http://www.saaremaa.ee/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=592 About Kaali crater on the official Saaremaa website]
• [http://www.7is7.com/otto/estonia/kaali.html Photos of the Kaali crater]
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=2zRK6DCWyq0C&dq=dobele+crater&pg=PA341 Impact tectonics]
• [http://www.estonia360.ee/kaali/ Interactive panoramic aerial view of the Kaali crater area]

{{Coord|58|22|22|N|22|40|10|E|region:EE-39_type:landmark_scale:50000|display=title}}

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before=Henbury|

title=The last impact event on Earth|

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{{Impact cratering on Earth}}

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Category:Impact craters of Estonia

Category:Holocene impact craters

Category:Lakes of Estonia

Category:Saaremaa Parish

Category:Sacred lakes

Category:Saaremaa

Category:Landforms of Saare County

Category:Tourist attractions in Saare County

Category:Impact crater lakes