Kaali is a group of 9 meteorite craters located on the Estonian island of Saaremaa.[1]
The largest of the craters measures 110 meters in diameter and contains a small lake (known as Kaali järv (Lake Kaali). The incoming meteor cluster had an estimated impact velocity of between 10 and 20 km/s - with a total mass of between 20 to 80 metric tonnes.
At the altitude of 5-10 km, the meteorite broke into pieces and fell to the Earth in fragments - the greatest of which produced a crater with a diameter of 110 m, 22 m deep. Kaali lake exists in the bottom this crater.
Eight smaller craters were also associated with this bombardment. Their diameters range from 12 to 40m and their respective depths vary from 1 to 4m. They are all within a 1 kilometer radius of the main crater.
The impact is thought to have occurred in the Holocene Era, around 660 ± 85 BCE. The impact energy of about 80 TJ (20 kilotons of TNT), is comparable with that of the Hiroshima bomb blast - incinerating forests within a 6 km. radius.[2]
Entymologists maintain that the event figured prominently in the regional mythology. It was and still is - considered a "sacred lake". There is archaeological evidence that it may well have been a place of ritual sacrifice.
During the early Iron Age, the lake was surrounded by a stone wall measuring 470 meters in length, with a median width of about 2.5 meters and an average height of 2.0 meters.
Prior to 1930s, the main crater was thought to have been of volcanic origin - i.e. a caldera. Its meteoritic origins were first conclusively demonstrated by Iwan Reinwald in 1937.
In mythology
Finnish mythology has stories that may describe happenings of Kaali, one of them 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 sky orders a new Sun to be made from a sparkle. The virgin of the air starts to make a new Sun, but the sparkle drops from the sky and hits the ground. This spark goes to an "Aluen" or "Kalevan"[3] 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 that direction to seek fire, and they finally gather flames from a forest fire.
According to a theory first 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."[3]
Asteroid 4227 Kaali is named after it.
External links
- Kaali crater home page
- About Kaali crater on the official Saaremaa website
- Photos of the Kaali crater
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Kaali |
References
- ^ "Kaalijärv". Earth Impact Database. University of New Brunswick. http://www.unb.ca/passc/ImpactDatabase/images/kaalijarvi.htm. Retrieved 2008-12-30.
- ^ Siim Veski, Atko Heinsalu, Kalle Kirsimäe, Anneli Poska, Leili Saarse (2001). "Ecological catastrophe in connection with the impact of the Kaali meteorite about 800–400 BC on the island of Saaremaa, Estonia". Meteoritics & Planetary Science 36 (3): 1367–1375. http://www.gi.ee/pdfid/10200.pdf.
- ^ a b Lennart Meri (1976). Hõbevalge (Silverwhite). Tallinn, Estonia: Eesti Raamat.
- Tiirmaa, R. (1992). "Kaali Craters of Estonia and Their Meteoritic Material". Meteoritics 27 (3): 297. http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1992Metic..27Q.297T.
- Anto Raukas, J.-M. Punning, T. Moora, Ü. Kestlane, A. Kraut (2005). "The Structure and Age of the Kaali Main Crater, Island of Saaremaa, Estonia". Impact Studies (2): 341–355. doi:.
Coordinates: 58°22′22″N 22°40′10″E / 58.37278°N 22.66944°E
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