Scientists have completed the mapping of Zealandia, Earth’s eighth continent, shedding light on its formation and why it sank beneath the ocean’s surface. Zealandia, which is now mostly submerged, stretches across nearly 2 million square miles—the equivalent of about two-thirds of Australia. A previous study in 2019 analyzed the geology of the southern third of Zealandia, while this new research focuses on the northern two-thirds, providing a complete understanding of the continent’s formation, as reported by the BBC. The findings are published in the journal Tectonics.
Researchers collected various rocks, including sandstone, mudstone, limestone, and basaltic lava, from Zealandia, which hold clues about its history. Granite and volcanic pebbles from the continent date back 110 million to 130 million years, while sandstone is approximately 95 million years old and basalts are 40 million years old. Scientists from GNS Science of New Zealand were able to reconstruct Zealandia’s history, including its separation from the supercontinent Gondwana, the creation of the Tasman Sea, and its split from West Antarctica. These events ultimately led to the formation of the Pacific Ocean. Zealandia, currently recognized as the world’s smallest and youngest continent, had a thinning continental crust due to the stretching it experienced, which eventually caused it to sink below the ocean’s surface. The continent largely disappeared around 25 million years ago, according to a press release. (Read more continents stories.)
Zealandia’s fascinating history and its connections to other landmasses highlight the complexity of Earth’s geological processes. The mapping of Zealandia contributes to our understanding of the planet’s dynamic nature and showcases the incredible discoveries that continue to be made in the field of geology.
Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
