Ilumetsa crater explained

Ilumetsa crater
Map:Europe
Coordinates:57.96°N 27.4029°W
Confidence:Probable
Age:7 ka
Exposed:Yes
Drilled:Yes
Country:Estonia

Ilumetsa is a set of two probable meteorite craters[1] in Estonia.

The Ilumetsa site is located in south eastern Estonia and it consists of two structures, located 725 m from each other. Their diameters are: 75–80 m and ~50 m. Their true depths are about 8 and 3.5 m, respectively.[2] Both structures are surrounded by a rim up to a few meters high: the rims are highest in their eastern parts with maximum rim heights of Ilumetsa Large 4.5 m and 1.5 m for Ilumetsa Small.

The Large Ilumetsa structure has been dated by radiocarbon dating the gyttja and peat from the very bottom of the crater shaped depression.[3] The lowermost organic beds were dated to 6030 +/-100 14C years (7170– 6660 cal. years BP). Recent radiocarbon dating charcoals buried within assumed proximal ejecta blankets of these crater-like features showed Ilumetsa Large and Ilumetsa Small formed simultaneously between 7170 and 7000 cal. years BP.[4] No clear meteorite fragments or shock metamorphic effects were ever found around those structures. Because of that Ilumetsa is not a proven impact crater. However, indirect lines of evidence are enough to call it a "probable" impact site. It is: 1) presence of deformed sedimentary beds (including the rim consisting of sands mixed with numerous clayey till lenses;,[5] 2) only a small thickness of glacial sediments, 3) simultaneous formation of both structures as showed by radiocarbon dating.

Notes and References

  1. Osinski . Gordon R. . Grieve . Richard A. F. . Ferrière . Ludovic . Losiak . Ania . Pickersgill . Annemarie . Cavosie . Aaron J. . Hibbard . Shannon M. . Hill . Patrick . Bermudez . Juan Jaimes . Marion . Cassandra L. . Newman . Jennifer D. . 2022-07-21 . Impact Earth: A review of the terrestrial impact record . Earth-Science Reviews . 232 . en . 104112 . 10.1016/j.earscirev.2022.104112 . 2022ESRv..23204112O . 250965097 . 0012-8252. free .
  2. Plado . Jüri . October 2012 . Meteorite impact craters and possibly impact-related structures in Estonia: Meteorite impact record of Estonia . Meteoritics & Planetary Science . en . 47 . 10 . 1590–1605 . 10.1111/j.1945-5100.2012.01422.x. 129740410 . free .
  3. Liiva A., Kessel H., and Aaloe A. . 1979 . Age of the Ilumetsa craters. (in Estonian). . Eesti Loodus . 12 . 762–764.
  4. Losiak . A. . Jõeleht . A. . Plado . J. . Szyszka . M. . Kirsimäe . K. . Wild . E. M. . Steier . P. . Belcher . C. M. . Jazwa . A. M. . Helde . R. . February 2020 . Determining the age and possibility for an extraterrestrial impact formation mechanism of the Ilumetsa structures (Estonia) . Meteoritics & Planetary Science . en . 55 . 2 . 274–293 . 10.1111/maps.13431 . 2020M&PS...55..274L . 213799334 . 1086-9379. free .
  5. Aaloe A. . 1963 . New data on the structure of Ilumetsa craters. (in Russian). . Eesti NSV Teaduste Akadeemia Geoloogia Instituudi Uurimused . 11 . 35–43.