All Hail Zealandia, Our “Newest” Continent

Milford Sound is one of Zealandia’s top attractions. Photo by Clark Norton

You may have read recently that a group of eminent geologists now believe there is a land mass that should be regarded as the earth’s eighth continent, based on scientific studies of the nature of its continental crust.

They’ve dubbed it Zealandia, partially because it includes the island nation of New Zealand in the western Pacific.

The term “Zealandia” was actually coined back in 1995 to describe a number of islands in the region (of which New Zealand’s three main islands are the largest) and what were believed to be submerged fragments of  continental crust that broke off from Australia in  the distant past.

Now the evidence is that Zealandia is all one big piece stretching from north of Antarctica almost all the way to the east coast of Oz.  That would make… Continue reading →