Meteorite Craters and the Hypothesis of the Existence of Contraterrene Meteorites

Abstract

Craters presenting unmistakable evidence of an impact origin have been excluded from the category of meteorite craters because no meteoritic materials have been found in or near them. The origin of certain silica‐glass deposits (closely resembling the glasses produced by fusion of siliceous materials in the intense heat incident to meteoritic impact with the surface of the Earth) is regarded as a mystery, because meteorites have not been found associated with these deposits. Attention is called in this communication to the possibility of the existence of contraterrene meteorites (defined in the paper), which would be just as capable of producing meteorite craters and silica‐glass as are ordinary meteorites, but of which no trace would remain after collision with the Earth.

Julius Kaljuvee, Ivan Reinwald, and Estonian pioneering ideas on meteorite impacts and cosmic neocatastrophism in the early 20th century

“…Suomen Maantieteellisen Seuran Aikakauskirja) periodicals. Furthermore, a similar response can be found in English-language periodicals, such as Mineralogical Abstracts, Contributions of the Society for Research on Meteorite (La Paz, 1941), and Popular Astronomy.…”

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Abstract -The article comprehensively presents little known Estonian contribution to the recognition of first meteorite impact structures in Europe, related to works of Julius Kaljuvee (Kalkun; 1869 and Ivan Reinwald (Reinwaldt; 1878-1941. As an active educator specialized in geoscience, Kaljuvee was the first to hypothesize in 1922 that Kaali lake cirque in Saaremaa Island, Estonia, was created by meteorite impact.

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“…Nevertheless, several concepts of Kaljuvee were revived as the key elements in the current geological paradigm. Reinwaldt; 1878-1941. En tant qu'éducateur actif spécialisé en géosciences, Kaljuvee a été le premier à émettre l'hypothèse qu'en 1922, le cirque du lac Kaali, sur l'île de Saaremaa, en Estonie, a été créé par l'impact d'une météorite.…”