Is Zealandia is the 8th real continent?

Certainly, it is a matter of great fascination whether Zealandia qualifies as the eighth continent.

Scientists Discover 8th 'Continent' That Had Been Missing For 375 Years

The new continent is 94 per cent underwater, with just a handful of islands, similar to New Zealand.

The status of Zealandia as the "eighth continent" is a matter of ongoing debate among geologists and scientists. While Zealandia is recognized as a distinct continental mass, whether it qualifies as the eighth continent depends on the criteria used for defining continents.

Traditionally, continents are defined based on their landmasses that are significantly above sea level. By this conventional definition, Zealandia, with most of its land submerged beneath the ocean, does not meet the criteria to be considered a full-fledged continent.

However, in recent years, some geologists and scientists have argued that Zealandia should be recognized as a continent based on alternative criteria, taking into account its geological characteristics, its distinct continental crust, and its separation from the Australian continent. Under this alternative perspective, Zealandia would be considered the eighth continent.

Ultimately, whether Zealandia is officially recognized as the eighth continent is a matter of scientific consensus, and it may take time for the broader scientific community to adopt this classification.

When did Zealandia sink?

Zealandia has not "sunk" in the traditional sense that we might associate with something disappearing beneath the ocean. Instead, Zealandia has always been submerged beneath the ocean's surface, and it has not undergone a sudden or recent event that caused it to sink. Zealandia's current state as a submerged continent is the result of millions of years of geological processes and tectonic movements.

Geological processes, such as plate tectonics, have led to the gradual submersion of Zealandia over an incredibly long time span. Zealandia is considered a distinct continent because it exhibits characteristics of continental crust, but it happens to be largely underwater. This unique geological history sets it apart from the continents that are primarily above sea level.

Is Zealandia bigger than Asia?

No, Zealandia is not bigger than Asia. Asia is the largest continent on Earth, covering an extensive landmass of approximately 44.58 million square kilometers (about 17.2 million square miles). In contrast, Zealandia, while a distinct continental landmass, is much smaller in comparison, covering an area of approximately 4.9 million square kilometers (about 1.89 million square miles). So, Asia is significantly larger than Zealandia.

Can people live on Zealandia?

While Zealandia is a distinct continental landmass, the vast majority of it is submerged beneath the ocean, which makes it unsuitable for human habitation. However, some regions of Zealandia's landmass do extend above the ocean's surface, and these areas are inhabited.

The most notable part of Zealandia that is above sea level includes the islands of New Zealand and New Caledonia. These islands are home to human populations, and people live and work there.

The submerged portions of Zealandia, which make up the majority of its land area, are not suitable for human habitation because they are underwater. These underwater regions are primarily of interest to scientists studying geology, oceanography, and marine biology.

So, people do live on Zealandia, but only in the areas that rise above the ocean's surface, such as New Zealand and New Caledonia. The submerged parts of Zealandia remain inaccessible for human habitation due to their underwater nature.

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