Dating a small impact crater: An age of Kaali crater (Estonia) based on charcoal emplaced within proximal ejecta |
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| Authors: | A Losiak E M Wild W D Geppert M S Huber A Jõeleht A Kriiska A Kulkov K Paavel I Pirkovic J Plado P Steier R Välja J Wilk T Wisniowski M Zanetti |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Planetary Geology Lab, Institute of Geological Sciences, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wroc?aw, Poland;2. VERA Laboratory, Faculty of Physics—Isotope Research, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria;3. Astrobiology Centre, Stockholm University, Sweden;4. Department of Geology, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa;5. Department of Geology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia;6. Department of Archaeology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia;7. Resource Center for Geo‐Environmental Research and Modeling, Saint‐Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia;8. Department of Astronomy, Faculty of Mathematics, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia;9. Institute of Earth and Environmental Sciences—Geology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany;10. Space Research Center, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland;11. Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, Campus Box 12. 1169, 1 Brookings Drive, St. 13. Louis, Missouri, USA;14. McDonnell Center for Space Science, St. Louis, Missouri, USA |
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| Abstract: | The estimates of the age of the Kaali impact structure (Saaremaa Island, Estonia) provided by different authors vary by as much as 6000 years, ranging from ~6400 to ~400 before current era (BCE). In this study, a new age is obtained based on 14C dating charred plant material within the proximal ejecta blanket, which makes it directly related to the impact structure, and not susceptible to potential reservoir effects. Our results show that the Kaali crater was most probably formed shortly after 1530–1450 BCE (3237 ± 10 14C yr BP). Saaremaa was already inhabited when the bolide hit the Earth, thus, the crater‐forming event was probably witnessed by humans. There is, however, no evidence that this event caused significant change in the material culture (e.g., known archeological artifacts) or patterns of human habitation on Saaremaa. |
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