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From Cosmic Collision to Fertile Fields: Finland's Hidden Hexagonal Wonder
https://scitechdaily.com/from-cosmic-collision-to-fertile-fields-finlands-hidden-hexagonal-wonder/
This hexagonal crater, renowned among scientists for its unique shape, provides crucial insights into Earth’s geological history and the dynamic processes shaping planetary bodies in our solar system.
Ancient Cosmic Event
Over 500 million years ago, a meteorite struck Earth near the Antarctic Circle, leaving behind a massive crater several kilometers wide. Over the eons, the slow drift of Earth’s tectonic plates carried this scarred section of the planet’s crust far into the Northern Hemisphere.
Today, this ancient impact site is known as the Söderfjärden crater. It spans 22 square kilometers along the coast of western Finland, near the Gulf of Bothnia, the northern arm of the Baltic Sea. In September 2024, the hexagon-shaped crater was captured in stunning detail by the Operational Land Imager-2 (OLI-2) on Landsat 9. Measuring over 5.5 kilometers (3.4 miles) across from east to west, Söderfjärden is now home to a patchwork of agricultural fields.
Ancient Cosmic Event
Over 500 million years ago, a meteorite struck Earth near the Antarctic Circle, leaving behind a massive crater several kilometers wide. Over the eons, the slow drift of Earth’s tectonic plates carried this scarred section of the planet’s crust far into the Northern Hemisphere.
Today, this ancient impact site is known as the Söderfjärden crater. It spans 22 square kilometers along the coast of western Finland, near the Gulf of Bothnia, the northern arm of the Baltic Sea. In September 2024, the hexagon-shaped crater was captured in stunning detail by the Operational Land Imager-2 (OLI-2) on Landsat 9. Measuring over 5.5 kilometers (3.4 miles) across from east to west, Söderfjärden is now home to a patchwork of agricultural fields.
Amazing journey this crater took - from Antarctica to the Arctic.