Lost Continent

[John Alexander]

Just when did Zealandia go missing? Has been there as long as I have been alive. Or is this like discovering people who didn't know they were lost but always lived here?

 

[sarajo]

Hi John

My fullest apologies for my ignorance but what is Zealandia?

 

[John Alexander]

Was formally accepted as the eighth continent a few years ago. It was decided that New Zealand was NOT and extension of Australia but a separate continent

 

[sarajo]

I thought that was always the case that NZ as never an extension of Australia but a country in its own right

 

[John Alexander]

Not talking about countries - the issue was continents

 

[Carol Cleon]

Science News, March 28, 2017. Zelandia probably began as part of the southeastern edge of the supercontinent Gondwana, making up about 5% of the supersized landmass, before the break up 100 million years ago. This break up stretched, thinned, and distorted Zelandia, ultimately lowering most of the region below sea level. Zelandia is a continuous expanse of continental crust covering about 4.9 million square kms, about the size of the Indian subcontinent. Zelandia is also spatially distinct from nearby Australia because of an intervening stretch of ocean crust.

 

[MIKE H]

I thought that the north island of New Zealand and the south island were moving in different directions? Does that mean that Zelandia is really 2 continents?

 

[Carol Cleon]

I thought that the north island of New Zealand and the south island were moving in different directions? Does that mean that Zelandia is really 2 continents?

I don’t think it’s two continents. According to Science News, it sounds like one continent with most of it underwater. And it is not a part of Australia because it is separated by ocean floor.

 

[MIKE H]

I don’t think it’s two continents. According to Science News, it sounds like one continent with most of it underwater. And it is not a part of Australia because it is separated by ocean floor.

Just like part of California is moving north, that part on the Fallon plate, is the south island on another plate? because it is passing the north island (in a few million years). This must be explained.

 

[Carol Cleon]

Just like part of California is moving north, that part on the Fallon plate, is the south island on another plate? because it is passing the north island (in a few million years). This must be explained.

Wikipedia has an excellent writeup on Zealandia—everything you ever wanted to know—geology, history from millions of years ago mentioning Gondwanaland and Antarctica, topographical maps, etc.

 

[GeoWill World]

download free
[Frederick_K._Lutgens,_Edward_J._Tarbuck,_Dennis_G(z-lib.org).pdf - 151.8 MB

 

[hellopunyhumans]

Just like part of California is moving north, that part on the Fallon plate, is the south island on another plate? because it is passing the north island (in a few million years). This must be explained.

There is no fallon plate. But there is an ancient Farllon plate, which almost entirely subducted under the west coast of the americas when that area was around Utah. The leftovers are the Juan De Fuca plate, which is the cause of my favorite place in the world, the Cascades.

 

[MIKE H]

There is no fallon plate. But there is an ancient Farllon plate, which almost entirely subducted under the west coast of the americas when that area was around Utah. The leftovers are the Juan De Fuca plate, which is the cause of my favorite place in the world, the Cascades.

Different maps show different names, and how come the north island and the south island are moving differently. The south island will be north of the north island soon, in a few million years

 

[hellopunyhumans]

Different maps show different names, and how come the north island and the south island are moving differently. The south island will be north of the north island soon, in a few million years

I'm talking about the california thing.

 

[Carol Cleon]

Part of California is on the North American plate and the western side is on the Pacific plate. One plate moves north and the other moves south.