What is the 8th new continent?

An eighth continent, called Zealandia, is hidden under New Zealand and the surrounding Pacific. Since 94\% of Zealandia is submerged, discerning the continent’s age and mapping it is difficult.

Is there really an 8th continent?

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What happened to the 8th continent?

About 3,500 feet under the south Pacific waves sits a lost eighth continent. Scientists confirmed that the submerged land mass, named Zealandia, was its own continent in 2017. The maps reveal new information about how Zealandia formed before it became submerged underwater millions of years ago.

What would happen if a new continent appears?

To avoid existing continents like Europe and Australia being flooded out of existence by displaced water, the new continent would have to create a commensurate drop in the ocean floor. Even so, the resulting tsunamis would kill a substantial portion of humanity, and change life for the survivors as they know it.

Why is Zealandia a continent?

Despite being thin and submerged, geologists know that Zealandia is a continent because of the kinds of rocks found there. Continental crust tends to be made up of igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks – like granite, schist and limestone, while the ocean floor is usually just made of igneous ones such as basalt.

What happened to Zealandia?

It was part of Pangaea. That changed when it broke away from Antarctica and then Australia. That’s when about 94 percent of Zealandia came to be underwater between 80 and 100 million years ago. Later, Zealandia sank further due to activity from the Pacific Ring of Fire.

Can we create a new continent?

It is possible, in some places, to build some real continents. If the ocean is shallow enough, we can excavate matter from the bottom and move it to create high mountains, reaching above surface. This technology might prove expensive, but at least we can create some real islands and in some cases real continents.

Was there life on Zealandia?

There have been some suggestions that all of Zealandia was submerged. However, the presence of old Gondwanan lineages, like the Leiopelmatid frogs, suggests that at least a little of Zealandia survived through the “Drowning” to become part of New Zealand.

Why Zealandia is a continent?