We’ve all heard of Atlantis, which was a ‘continent’ or at least a city that reportedly sank into the ocean due to some natural disaster. Every few years, there is some report in the news of the latest theory about where that continent or city was located.
When I was considerably
younger, I read at least one book about the lost continent of Lemuria. I keep
wanting to say the book I read was written by Lin Carter, who did write about
Lemuria (before it sank into oblivion), but it was so long ago that the name of
the continent is all I remember. Nowadays, Wikipedia says that a lost continent
called Lemuria was proposed in 1864 by zoologist Philip Sclater, who theorized
it was located in the Indian Ocean. The idea was debunked in the 20th
century once scientists understood plate tectonics and continental drift.
But a team of
scientists really have discovered a lost continent now, which they are calling
Zealandia. Most of it is underwater, but New Zealand and some other islands
stand up far enough to be above the ocean. Zealandia is more than half the size
of Australia, and it extends northwest and southeast of the New Zealand
islands.
It was a part of
Gondwana when that supercontinent existed, but when it started to break apart,
Zealandia was one of the parts, breaking away around 81 million years ago. Then
95% of that part, Zealandia, sank beneath the waves.
The scientists have
finished mapping Zealandia recently after 20 years of work, and they state that
it contains a vast array of diverse rocks that proves it is made of continental
crust, so it is not just a section of seafloor.
Zealandia is sometimes
referred to as Earth’s 8th continent.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zealandia
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/scientists-finally-finished-mapping-earth-s-8th-continent-zealandia-helping-them-solve-the-lost-continent-s-mysterious-history/ar-AA1hu1QE?ocid=mailsignout&pc=U591&cvid=71bd9ad3ca8b4b63b9e2633f4f699f75&ei=36#image=AA1bYYe9|1
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