Let me take you down the memory lane, fifth grade, Social Science, chapter – Our Earth Continents and Oceans. There is given a perfect definition of continent i.e large masses of land on earth surface that are surrounded by water body on all sides.
No prizes for guessing that these continents are 7 in numbers but there’s always a twist in every tale. These 7 sisters or 7 continents have one more sister that neither mother earth told them nor our teacher taught us.
Also read: Lost Continent Found Below Indian Ocean
So, here is the bio-data of this lost sister of the 7 continents!
1. My good name
The name of this lost sister is Zealandia. However, some experts also call her New Zealand Continent or Tasmantis. This name was first coined by geophysicist Bruce Luyendik in 1995.
“It was not a sudden discovery but a gradual realization” – this is what was stated by a group of scientist when the news of her presence came into limelight.
2. My Birth
About 125 million years ago the geographical situation forced Gondwanaland to expand that continued for 100 million years which led to the formation of Tasman sea floor and finally a small piece was torn away from Gondwana, which marked the birth of this lost continent- Zealandia. But as time passed by almost 93% of remains submerged in Pacific ocean.
3. My parts are still visible
We know that 93% of Zealandia is submerged totally in the Pacific Ocean, then what about the 7%?
The answer lies in the name itself. Yes, the beautiful country of New Zealand is said to be a part of Zealandia. New Caledonia which is a group of islands governed by France is said to be the northern end of this lost continent. Another part that marks the visibility of this ancient continent is – Norfolk Island, Lord Howe Island Group, Elizabeth and Middletown Reefs.
4. Secrets to share
Since this continent has been isolated from the rest of the world, the scientist believes that it must be having a lot of hidden secrets about the evolution of human beings and other species. It is expected to be a large resource of fossil fuel, minerals, and other valuable substances which would be very useful for the mankind.
5. The voyage of my rediscovery
Recently, a group of scientists has started a voyage from Australia to Zealandia to search for the hidden secrets of this submerged continent. This voyage to study Zealandia is much more than just giving it a status of the continent. Let’s hope that this voyage not only gives Zealandia the status that it deserves but also solves the mysteries and questions about this unfragmented submerged landmass.
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