Zealandia

submerged continent

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July 21, 2026

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Zealandia is a largely submerged continental fragment, or microcontinent, located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, east of Australia. It is considered the eighth continent by geologists. While most of Zealandia lies underwater, its highest points form islands such as New Zealand and New Caledonia.1

This submerged continent is thought to have broken away from the supercontinent Gondwana about 80 million years ago and subsequently sunk beneath the waves. Scientific studies have revealed that Zealandia is composed of continental crust, unlike the denser oceanic crust found in surrounding areas.1

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A Tale of Two Submerged Continents
…underwater plateau (which they called Zealandia) was once an emergent continent that was connected to Gondwana (a supercontinent which lasted from perhaps 600 million to 140 million years ago). Zealandia, it seems, slipped beneath the waves sometime after it broke away from Australia about 80 million years ago.
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…underwater plateau (which they called Zealandia) was once an emergent continent that was connected to Gondwana (a supercontinent which lasted from perhaps 600 million to 140 million years ago). Zealandia, it seems, slipped beneath the waves sometime after it broke away from Australia about 80 million years ago.
Read More