Zealandia emerges as a candidate for the eighth continent after extensive study of its underwater geology

Geologists They claim to have Zealandia’s underwater landmass has been completely mappedIt is considered Candidate to be the eighth continent of Earth. The research team used rock samples from the sea floor to analyze and date the underwater geology of northern Zealandia, and completed the documentation of nearly three million square kilometers of submerged land mass, according to a report published by the British newspaper “Daily Mail”. Study published in Tectonics.

Researchers at New Zealand’s GNS Instituteled by Nick MortimerAnd they extracted samples from Sandstone, limestone and basalt lava From different Geological eras Along the northern two-thirds of Zealandia’s underwater range. Find out Sandstone about 95 million years oldwith A mixture of granite and volcanic gravel up to 130 million years old And The youngest basalts are about 40 million years old.

“This work is complete Geological survey and geological mapping of the entire continent of ZealandiaThe researchers stated. Zealandia progress Unique geological historyclosely related The ancient supercontinent Gondwana. Approx 80 million years, ZealandiaUnlike Australia And a lot of Antarcticawas largely submerged in water, and only preserved… Small part visible.

However, detailed mapping has allowed scientists to understand how Zealandia formed and changed over time. According to research, between 100 and 80 million years ago, a significant thinning of the Earth’s crust occurred, culminating in the collapse of the continent, due to its expansion in several directions. This expansion led to the formation of cracks that allowed ocean water to enter and cause it to sink.

Although Zealandia sank, it showed signs of its former life. Scientists have discovered fossils, pollen of land plants, remains of shallow sea creatures and other evidence of past life. Furthermore, it has been confirmed that Zealandia was home to diverse fauna and flora in the past.

It is important to highlight this Most of Zealandia is still under water. Only a small portion of the continent, including New Zealand and New Caledonia, forms the visible area of ​​the eighth continent filter.

However, this latest study provides a complete view of the geology of Zealandia, giving scientists and geologists a more complete picture of our planet’s complex geological history.

Despite the traditional representation of five to seven continents, there is no consistent consensus, and may vary depending on the geological or geographic perspective.

In basic education, they are taught more often five Continents: America, Europe, Asia, Africa and OceaniaWhich is represented by the five famous rings of the Olympic Games.

But there are visions that divide America into two parts: North and South America, in addition to Antarctica as the seventh continent. The latter is more acceptable in the Anglo-Saxon world.

An important study of the history and composition of the continents has revealed that the Earth emerged above sea level less than 3.2 billion years ago, and that it was constantly being reshaped by plate tectonic activity. This information was revealed in a research published in the scientific journal Nature Geoscience in 2020.

However, the debate continues. For example, the United Nations usually refers to five continents, but only when counting the inhabited continents.

However, this argument ignores the geophysical reality of Antarctica, which is still haunted by ice. Likewise, the question of calling Europe a continent is debatable, when in fact it can be considered a peninsula in Asia.

Added to this is the possible existence of Zealandia, an almost completely submerged land mass in the Pacific Ocean, the existence of which has recently been confirmed by the scientific community.

Anyway, how many continents does the Earth have? Depending on scientific accuracy and definitions adopted, the most precise estimates range from six (Asia, Africa, America, Europe, Oceania and Antarctica) to seven (add New Zealand). This geographic puzzle remains an area of ​​research and debate.