Discover the groundbreaking revelation of Argoland, a submerged continent from 157 million years ago, unearthed by Dutch scientists from Utrecht University. This monumental find promises to reshape our understanding of Earth’s ecological and climatic history.
Argoland: Unveiling the Pacific’s Hidden Continent
Scientists from Utrecht University in the Netherlands have made a monumental discovery—a submerged continent in the Pacific Ocean, estimated to be 157 million years old. This revelation not only sheds light on the prehistoric landmass but also promises to enhance our comprehension of Earth’s ecological and climate systems.
According to the research published in the “Gondwana Research” journal, the size of the lost continent was roughly equivalent to that of the United States, spanning about 3,000 kilometers in width. Believed to have separated from Australia during the Jurassic period, which lasted from 201 to 145 million years ago, the continent drifted towards Southeast Asia over thousands of years before ultimately vanishing. The researchers have illustrated this journey in an accompanying video.
For decades, the existence of this continent was suspected due to a significant geological void known as the “Argo Abyssal Plain,” from which the newly discovered continent, “Argoland,” takes its name. The Argo Abyssal Plain is a vast basin in the Indian Ocean located between the northwest coast of Australia and the islands of Southeast Asia, with depths reaching up to 5,730 meters.
The challenge for researchers seeking Argoland was that most of the continent’s body had eroded over time or disappeared entirely into the mantle layer. However, the Dutch team succeeded in finding traces of it by tracking magnetic anomalies that characterize the region and indicate the age and spread direction of the oceanic crust.
Remnants of this lost continent have been found in the form of massive tectonic units scattered across the ocean floor and buried within small islands, particularly hidden beneath the lush green forests of large parts of Indonesia and Myanmar.
The research team has managed to reconstruct the continent from the pieces they discovered, a feat that is crucial for understanding the evolutionary processes of biodiversity and climate over time on Earth’s surface. It also provides insights into the formation of mountains and the driving forces behind plate tectonics that make up Earth’s rocky shell.
Furthermore, the reconstruction of Argoland holds special economic significance in the context of raw material discovery, which could lead to extraction and industrial use.
This scientific and economic breakthrough not only marks a significant stride in geological research but also opens up new frontiers for understanding our planet’s past, potentially leading to discoveries that could benefit various industries and deepen our knowledge of Earth’s history.
For more on this fascinating discovery and its implications, visit dzwatch.net.
