Long-lost continent found under the Indian Ocean

nature.com

56 points·narad··8 comments

It was called Kumari Continent[1]

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumari_Kandam

> about three times the size of Crete

Crete is ~8000km2 so this "continent" would be <30000km2.

That makes it less than half the size of Sri Lanka

Big enough to host a significant culture or proto-culture leading to a rosy generational memory, small enough that it can rather easily be sunk/destroyed by a disaster with only local impact (as opposed to the completely insane representation of a continent basically covering the current indian ocean in the linked article)

Sure, Crete itself hosted a very significant culture http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minoan_civilization which disappeared (probably) due to a natural catastrophe (Thera eruption, 600 times bigger than Eyjafjallajökull)

While the article does not give a date, it sounds like this "lost continent" has been lost for many millions, and possible a billion, years. It sounds like it predates humanity, let alone civilization.

What's the difference between a micro continent and an island?

A micro-continent is composed of continental crust (e.g. granite). The oceans are mostly underlain by basalts. Because the of the density difference between granite and basalt, continents tend to remain at the surface longer, which is why the age of the zircons implies a former continent.

A micro continent may or may not form an island, which is just a bit of rock (continental or otherwise) that sticks up above the water.

> A micro continent may or may not form an island, which is just a bit of rock (continental or otherwise) that sticks up above the water.

Example: Zealandia, of which New Zealand is the main remnant

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