Produced by: Tarun Mishra
Designed by: Manoj Kumar
After nearly 375 years, geoscientists have unveiled Zealandia, also known as Te Riu-a-Maui, a continent that had long eluded detection. This astonishing discovery was made possible through meticulous analysis of data derived from dredged rock samples retrieved from the ocean floor.
A small team of dedicated geologists and seismologists undertook the task of crafting an updated map of Zealandia, documenting their findings in the journal Tectonics. This meticulous effort shed light on a hidden continent.
Zealandia emerges as a vast continent spanning a staggering 1.89 million square miles (4.9 million square kilometers), making it approximately six times the size of Madagascar. This revelation positions Zealandia as a noteworthy addition to the world's continents.
With the inclusion of Zealandia, the world now boasts a total of eight continents. Zealandia's uniqueness lies in its status as the smallest, thinnest, and youngest continent on Earth.
Notably, Zealandia primarily remains submerged beneath the ocean's surface, with only a fraction of its landmass surfacing as islands, reminiscent of New Zealand itself. Andy Tulloch, a geologist affiliated with the New Zealand Crown Research Institute GNS Science, who played a significant role in this breakthrough, aptly commented, "This serves as an illustration of how something seemingly evident can elude discovery for an extended period," as reported by BBC.
The pursuit of knowledge about Zealandia has always posed a considerable challenge for scientists. To gain insight into this hidden continent, researchers have turned to the examination of collections of rocks and sediment samples retrieved from the ocean bed.
The study of these rock samples uncovered intriguing geologic patterns in West Antarctica, hinting at the potential existence of a subduction zone near the Campbell Plateau, situated off the western coast of New Zealand.
Surprisingly, despite these patterns, the researchers did not detect magnetic anomalies in this area, which contradicts theories pertaining to a strike-slip fault in the Campbell Fault.
The newly refined map of Zealandia not only pinpoints the location of the magmatic arc axis of this continent but also reveals other significant geological features previously concealed from view.
Zealandia's origin can be traced back to the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana, which took shape approximately 550 million years ago, uniting all the landmasses in the southern hemisphere into a singular landmass. This discovery sheds light on Earth's dynamic geological history, offering insights into the evolution of continents over millions of years.