Lost continent close to being recognised

Geologists claim that a huge landmass almost entirely submerged in the southwest Pacific, is distinct enough to constitute a separate continent. At five million square kilometres, Zealandia would be the world’s smallest continent

Bruce Luyendyk 
Geophysicist coined term Zealandia in 1995, when it was thought to meet three of the four thresholds required for continent status

New study using satellite technology and gravity maps of sea floor revealed Zealandia is large unified area, fulfilling all four requirements
SOUTH AMERICA
AFRICA
ASIA
NORTH AMERICA 
ANTARCTICA
AUSTRALIA
EUROPE
ZEALANDIA

CRITERIA
High elevation relative to surrounding area
Distinctive geology
Crust thicker compared with surrounding ocean floor Continental crust limits Active plate boundary
Well-defined area


ZEALANDIA
Measures 4.9 million sq km, about two thirds of Australia
94% of area is underwater
Believed to have broken away from ancient supercontinent Gondwana and sank between 60 and 85 million years ago

AUSTRALIAN PLATE
PACIFIC PLATE
ZEALANDIA
AUSTRALIA
Vanuatu
Fiji
New Caledonia
New Zealand
500km
310 miles

Source: GSA Today
Picture: LinkedIn