Continent Zealandia lost and hidden under the sea has a number of interesting facts ranging from its size to its relationship to the great continent of Gondwana.
Zealandia separated from the great continent of Gondwana between 79 and 83 million years ago. Here are the facts on the continent of Zealandia which is hidden under the sea.
1. Given continent status in 2017
Zealandia was granted the status of a continent in 2017. Zealandia is suspected to have existed since 1919. Zealandia was given the status of a continent because it fulfills a number of conditions. First, Zealandia has a higher surface above sea level.
Then Zealandia also contains various igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks. In addition, the continental crust of Zealandia is thicker and less dense than the oceanic crust. And the next which is the most obvious condition is that Zealandia is big enough to officially call itself a continent.
2. Submerged 94 percent
Despite its status as a continent, 94 percent of Zealandia’s territory is under water.
The continent has less than 7 percent of its land area above the sea, and includes areas of New Zealand, New Caledonia, and the Ball Pyramid, a volcano that formed 6.4 million years ago.
3. Fragments of the great continent of Gondwana
Reported from Interesting Engineering, Zealandia is estimated to have sunk into the ocean 60 to 85 million years ago, freeing itself from the mainland of Gondwana which also includes Australia.
4. Measuring 4.9 million square kilometers
After being separated from the large continent of Gondwana, Zealandia is still submerged next to Australian territory with a land area of 4.9 million kilometers.
Zealandia is said to have a large number of mineral deposits, fossil fuels and natural gas fields. For now, most resources are under New Zealand jurisdiction.
GNS Science, a New Zealand government-owned geohazards research and consultancy organization hopes to promote Zealandia with a series of new maps and interactive tools that showcase the lost continent in unprecedented detail.
“We have created this map to provide an accurate, complete and current picture of the geology of New Zealand and the southwest Pacific region – better than any we have ever had before,” Nick Mortimer, geologist and lead author of the map, quoted from Live Science.
“Their value is that they provide a new context for explaining and understanding New Zealand’s volcanic settings, plate boundaries and sedimentary basins,” he added.
5. Located at a depth of 1,250 meters
Zealandia earned its status as a continent in September 2017 after 32 scientists from 23 countries spent two months on an expedition exploring the region.
The researchers at that time drilled into the ocean floor to a depth of 1,250 meters in six areas and managed to collect 2,500 meters of sediment samples.
(lnn / mik)
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