Geologists have found the continent of Argoland. It still exists, but a little lower
Miscellaneous / / October 24, 2023
Time and the ocean have not been kind to him.
Geologists from Utrecht University (Netherlands) discovered traces of the lost continent of Argoland. It is believed that about 155 million years ago it broke away from Australia and floated away.
Its existence has been known for a long time. It was about 5,000 kilometers long, and left behind a “void” in the ocean called the Argo Bottomless Trench. Because of this underwater feature, the unusual name arose.
However, scientists have still not been able to find even such an impressive object. And this turned out to have a simple explanation - now it exists only in a fragmented state.
We were dealing with literal islands of information, which is why the research took so long. It took seven years to put the puzzle together.
Dow van Hinsbergen
Geologist from Utrecht University
A long-term study of the structure of the seabed has shown that Argoland has moved to the northwest and is now located in the region of the islands of Southeast Asia. It was under them that small fragments of the ancient continent were found.
Apparently, it began to split 300 million years ago. Around 215 million years ago, the decay accelerated, eventually leading to its separation from Australia. Now it has completely turned into a scattering of thin fragments.
Such studies are important for understanding the evolution of biodiversity and climate, as well as for searching for minerals, geologists say. In addition, they help to better understand the nature of the mountains.
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