<abstract xml:lang="en" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>The Island of Saaremaa in Estonia offers highly spectacular geological features that belong to the most interesting in the Baltic Sea area. A unique geological monument on the island is the Kaali meteorite-crater field, formed by nine meteorite impacts. There are also attractive coastal cliffs, huge erratics, alvars (limestone areas covered by a very thin soil) and well-developed glacial and marine landforms. Limestone cliffs and shingle beaches abound with Silurian fossils and offer great opportunities to fossil collectors. The island is a prospective geopark. During the past few years, the geology of the island has become an intensely studied object of Estonian and Polish geologists.</p></abstract>

The Island of Saaremaa in Estonia offers highly spectacular geological features that belong to the most interesting in the Baltic Sea area. A unique geological monument on the island is the Kaali meteorite-crater field, formed by nine meteorite impacts. There are also attractive coastal cliffs, huge erratics, alvars (limestone areas covered by a very thin soil) and well-developed glacial and marine landforms. Limestone cliffs and shingle beaches abound with Silurian fossils and offer great opportunities to fossil collectors. The island is a prospective geopark. During the past few years, the geology of the island has become an intensely studied object of Estonian and Polish geologists.

The Kaali crater field and other geosites of Saaremaa Island (Estonia): the perspectives for a geopark

Institute of Ecology, Tallinn University, Uus-Sadama 5, 10120 Tallinn, Estonia

Institute of Geology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Maków Polnych 16, 61-606 Poznan, Poland

Geologos

The Island of Saaremaa in Estonia offers highly spectacular geological features that belong to the most interesting in the Baltic Sea area. A unique geological...

The Kaali crater field and other geosites of Saaremaa Island (Estonia): the perspectives for a geopark

Published Online: Apr 26, 2010

Page range: 59 - 68

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/v10118-010-0004-z

Keywords
geopark, geosites, meteorite-crater field, Saaremaa Island, Estonia

This content is open access.

The Kaali crater field and other geosites of Saaremaa Island (Estonia): the perspectives for a geopark

Published Online: Apr 26, 2010

Page range: 59 - 68

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/v10118-010-0004-z

Keywordsgeopark, geosites, meteorite-crater field, Saaremaa Island, Estonia

This content is open access.

Keywords
geopark, geosites, meteorite-crater field, Saaremaa Island, Estonia