0-
How many continents are there?
-
Standard answer: Seven.
-
What are they?
-
Asia, Europe, Africa, North America, South America, Australia, Antartica
-
But it seems, a new member may be added in future.
-
What will be the eighth?
-
Answer: Zealandia.
-
Where is it?
-
Answer: It is submerged under water.
-
Actually, 94% is submerged under the Pacific ocean;
-
All we of it is New Zealand and few islands.
-
Basic outline:
-
100 million years ago Antartica, Austalia, Zealandia were one continent;
-
85 million years ago Zealandia split off on its own, separated from Australia.
-
50 million years ago, the Pacific plate dove beneath New Zealand, pushing up the two islands.
-
Why should we consider a submerged land mass as a continent?
-
There are specific criteria applied to Earth's continents:
-
Distinctive geology
-
Well-defined area
-
Crust much thicker than found on the ocean floor.
-
Why is there current interest?
-
Answer : Currently, there is an expedition to gather more data to decide the question. Scientists have sailed aboard the Jodies Resolution, a drilling ship.
-
They visit six sites in the Tasman sea between Australia and New Zealand to drill cores of sediment and rocks from earth's crust (between 1000 feet and 2000 feet).
