IKKUNA NEWS: An impact crater is an approximately circular depression in the surface of a planet or moon believed to have been caused by a meteorite. An existing crater should have stood the test of time of the harsh environment of the Earth for millions of years.
We mostly associate the impact of meteorites with the extinction of dinosaurs or other disasters. But these are the impacts which could have created early life and conducible environment on Earth.
One such natural wonder is Söderfjärden (Meteoria), about 10 kilometers south of Vaasa.
– Finland has 11 impact craters and Söderfjärden is the most beautiful and is very well preserved, says Matts Andersén, an expert in impact craters and the history of Söderfjärden.
He is also responsible for the developmental activities of the Meteoria.
Brief history. The crater was formed about 520 million years ago when a meteor roughly about 300 metres struck the Earth with tremendous velocity. A very interesting fact is that when the crater was formed, the region was in the Southern Hemisphere in roughly where New Zealand is today on Earth.
The movement of the Earth’s plates resulted in the current day location of the crater.
– Due to the land rising and a good coast, the first people came to the region about 4 500 years ago to hunt seals. The land rose yearly and formed a shallow bay making it easy for fishing and subsequently agriculture.
– In the 1920’s there was a huge draining project to make the flat land into a fine agricultural area. There were about 3 000 hay barns in the region around that time.
– If the solar system was 2 billion times smaller, it would fit exactly to Söderfjärden. There is a solar system depicting the distances from Sun to Neptune on a path. If the size of the Sun is 70 centimeters, Earth is no bigger than a small marble and Jupiter the size of a tennis ball, says Andersén.
Activities at Meteoria. There are different activities that take place from star gazing to watching eclipses, comets and other solar phenomenon. They include:
• An advanced exhibition telling the 520 million year long story of Söderfjärden. They have a well-made movie with nice visuals showing the history from an impact crater to the agricultural and Natura 2000 area of today.
• A well-equipped astronomical observatory with a telescope for studies of celestial bodies hundreds of millions of light years out into the universe.
• A bird-watching tower in the middle of the crater. Söderfjärden is known as the paradise for cranes as it is an important resting place for the cranes migrating towards South for the winter. People can see thousands of cranes during the day time in autumn.
• A cafeteria in an old threshing barn. Here one can see how the grains were separated in the olden days before the use of machines.
• An energy cellar where they produce their own renewable energy with solar power, wind and bio-diesel.
All of them are on display on the 19th of September when they have an Open house for everyone.
Rathan Kumar