Mystery or the unexplained · 1998
Neugrund, the crater under the sea
Between the island of Osmussaar and the islet of Krassi lies Estonia's biggest and oldest meteorite crater, hidden under the sea. Its rim is 9 km across and rises 50 to 100 metres from the seabed. An asteroid about 1 km wide exploded here some 535 million years ago, when this was open sea 100 to 200 metres deep. Because it is under water, the crater is hard to study, and its meteoritic origin was proven only in 1998. Strange boulders of gneiss breccia on the coast of Osmussaar are believed to have been thrown there by the blast. Scientists first dated it to the Ordovician, then moved it back to the Cambrian.
Open it on the map See the spot on the old maps and as it is today
Eesti keeles
Osmussaare ja Krassi saare vahel peitub mere all Eesti suurim ja vanim meteoriidikraater. Selle ringvalli läbimõõt on 9 km ja vall kerkib merepõhjast 50 kuni 100 meetri kõrgusele. Umbes 535 miljonit aastat tagasi plahvatas siin umbes kilomeetrise läbimõõduga asteroid, kui paigas laius 100 kuni 200 meetri sügavune meri. Kuna kraater on vee all, on seda raske uurida ja selle meteoriitne päritolu tõestati alles 1998. aastal. Osmussaare rannas lebavad kummalised gneissbretša rahnud arvatakse olevat plahvatusega sinna paisatud. Teadlased dateerisid kraatri algul ordoviitsiumisse, hiljem aga kambriumisse.
Source: Estonian Wikipedia: Neugrundi kraater; English Wikipedia: Neugrund crater. ↗