First we're told Pluto is no longer a planet. Now we're being told there are eight, not seven continents. What’s next – A, B, C are actually prime numbers? A jaffa cake is actually a croissant? Please world, stop toying with our emotions. We. Can’t. Deal.
Pluto will forever hold a place in my heart for being that cute, teeny, tiny planet in the big, old solar system. So teeny tiny in fact that scientists deemed it too irrelevant to pass for a planet and renounced its claim to fame (cry). As if this wasn’t like Christopher Columbus trying to convince all of humanity the world wasn’t flat, another major bombshell has landed on us and it goes by the name of Zealandia.
No, that wasn’t just me typing out my sneeze or the latest naff Zoolander sequel. This is the unimaginative name being given to the massive hidden continent, attached to New Zealand and located beneath the Pacific Ocean. (Still trying to figure out if I’m more traumatised by this revelation or its abysmal name…)
A team of 11 researchers made this mind-boggling discovery using swanky new satellite-based elevation and gravity map technology. Located to the east of Australia and impressively two-thirds of its size, Zealandia encompasses: New Zealand, New Caledonia, Norfolk Island, the Lord Howe Island group and Elizabeth, and the Middleton reefs. So not too many places…If you want to be one of the first to set foot on this new continent - bring your diving suit, 94% of it is underwater. It’s believed the vast area (the equal size of the Indian subcontinent) broke away from Gondwana (a colossal landmass which once encompassed Australia) and sank under the sea some 60m to 85m years ago.
The researchers told the Geological Society of America, ‘The scientific value of classifying Zealandia as a continent is much more than just an extra name on a list.’ Are you sure? We’re less convinced…They do however make a valid point that these are ‘thought-provoking’ findings on how a continent can be ‘so submerged yet un-fragmented’. Such knowledge could lead to further revelations in the breakup of continental crust.
Zealandia was originally coined by geophysicist Bruce Luyendyk back in 1995, when it was believed it possessed three out of the four requirements to pass as a continent. This latest discovery shows it now ticks the final box, a large unified area of land. Crushing the belief for the past two decades that Zealadnia was a collection of submerged continental fragments.
I equally feel this has crushed my mind. Maybe we could all warm to Zealandia if we saw it as a safe underwater haven away from Trump’s inflammatory world….
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.