Geologists claim to have discovered a new continent to the east of Australia: Zealandia. At 4.9 million square kilometers of land mass, 94 percent of which is under water, Zealandia would be the world’s smallest continent.

The 11 scientists behind the claim presented their findings in the study “Zealandia: Earth’s Hidden Continent” in Geological Society of America, making a case for Zealandia to be recognized as the world’s eighth continent in its own right.

According to their study, the land mass comprises all the four attributes needed to be considered a continent, including the presence of different rock types and crucially “the high elevation relative to regions floored by oceanic crust.”

“It was not a sudden discovery but a gradual realization,” the scientists wrote.

The term Zealandia was coined by geophysicist Bruce Luyendyk in 1995, at which time it was believed to possess three of the four necessary qualities required for continent status.

A recent discovery using satellite technology and gravity maps of the sea floor have revealed that Zealandia is a large unified area, fulfilling all four requirements.

The political and economic implications of a new continent would be manifold, with the question of clearly defining what belongs to New Zealand and Australia particularly salient in light of offshore mining in the area.

A six-year study by the GNS Science research institute in New Zealand has revealed that there could be tens of billions of dollars of worth of fossil fuels located off-shore in the region.

According to the study, the 94 percent of Zealandia currently submerged broke away from Australia and sank 60-85 million years ago.

科学家声称，在澳洲附近发现了一块新大陆，这块名为“西兰洲”的新大陆可能将成为世界第八大洲，如果真是这样，那么我们的地理课本又要改写了。

地质学家声称，在澳洲以东发现了一块新大陆：西兰洲。西兰洲的陆地面积为490万平方公里，其中94%都浸没在水中，是世界上面积最小的大陆。

提出新大陆说法的11位科学家在美国地质学会上发表了这一研究报告：《西兰洲：地球上隐藏的大陆》，他们请求将西兰洲认定为世界第八大洲。

根据他们的研究，这块陆地具备了成为大洲所需的四个要素，包括岩石类型多样化，关键在于它“相比那些基于海洋地壳的地区海拔要高”。

科学家在研究报告中写道：“这不是突然发现的，而是逐渐意识到的。”

1995年地球物理学家布鲁斯·鲁岩迪克造出了“西兰洲”这个词，当时科学家认为这块陆地具备了成为大洲所需的四个要素中的三个要素。近日运用卫星技术和海底重力地图后发现，西兰洲是一整块大陆，具备了所有四个要素。

一个新大洲的出现将蕴含着多重的政治和经济意义，主要问题在于该地区的海底开采权将如何在新西兰和澳大利亚之间进行划分。

新西兰的GNS科学研究所的一项长达六年的研究发现，该地区海底潜藏着价值成百上千亿美元的化石燃料能源。

根据该研究，西兰洲目前被海水浸没的94%的地区已经和澳洲大陆块分离，并于6000万至8500万年前沉没海中。

(Chinadaily.com.cn)

Words to Learn 相关词汇

    【重力】 zhònglì gravity the force that makes something fall to the ground

    【 近海的】jìnhǎi de offshore in the sea, not on the land