Zealand is the seventh continent you did not know existed

You probably learned six continents at school: Africa, Eurasia, Antarctica, Australia, North America, and South America. In some countries, it is customary to divide Eurasia into two separate continents - Europe and Asia. But did you know that, according to geologists, there is another hidden continent? Zealand is a term first coined in 1995 and is the name of part of Australia's sunken continental coast. Today, researchers say that this territory should be qualified as a separate continent.

In a paper published in the GSA, a group of first-class scientists summed up the results of 10 years of research proving that geologically, Zealand is a separate continent. University of California geophysicist Bruce Luendyk coined the term "Zealand" in 1995 to describe New Zealand, New Caledonia, and underwater bark that broke the supercontinent Gondwana and separated Australia from 60 to 85 million years ago. Although Luendyk did not participate in the study, he supports the findings of scientists.

Research says that New Zealand and New Caledonia are not only island links, but also part of the continent of Zealand. The experts also evaluated the diversity of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks in the plate, differences in height relative to the ocean floor, and clear boundaries of large areas. In addition, they examined recent satellite altitude and gravity maps to make sure the region is truly one. This led them to conclude that Zealand could indeed be considered a separate continent.

Only 6% of the continent’s surface (approximately the size of India) protrudes above the water, which is why the territory has long been hidden from scientists. Experts argue that the scientific value of classifying Zealand as a continent is much greater than just another name on the list of continents of our planet.