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| The location of the "eighth continent" is outlined. (Source: Phys.org) |
Recently, phys.org reported that a group of New Zealand geologists and seismologists announced their discovery of an "eighth continent", named Zealandia or Riu-a-Maui.
Researchers found the mysterious continent using data from rock and sediment samples dredged from the ocean floor. Details of their findings are presented in a new study in the journal Tectonics.
The study describes Zealandia as a vast continent with an area of 4.9 million square kilometres - about six times the size of Madagascar - with 94% of it underwater and only a few islands rising above sea level.
“This is an example of something that is very obvious, but can take a while to be discovered,” said Andy Tulloch, a geologist at New Zealand’s GNS Science Institute.
A team of researchers from GNS Science assessed that Zealandia is the smallest, thinnest and youngest continent in the world.
According to phys.org , an evaluation of rock samples gave researchers a hint of the existence of an unknown continent, located on the sea floor near an area called the Campbell Fault off the west coast of New Zealand.
Research results show that Zealandia was formed between 900 million and 1.3 billion years ago, and was part of an ancient supercontinent called Rodinia.
Scientists are currently working to complete the mapping of Zealandia and carry out the necessary procedures for it to be officially recognized as a continent.
By convention, the Earth currently has 7 continents including Asia, Africa, South America, North America, Europe, Australia and Antarctica.
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