It took scientists 375 years to discover a new continent

Several centuries ago, there was a sailor who was convinced of the existence of another continent, in addition to the one we already know. However, he was unable to actually prove it. Now science has found that he was absolutely right, but it took 375 years to confirm it.

according to publications BBC FutureIt was Abel Tasman – the navigator – who in 1642 suggested that there is a continent unknown to everyone. It was a completely unexplored land, which didn’t even have a name. So he named it Terra Australis, and Tasman set out on an expedition to prove his point.

After leaving Jakarta, Indonesia, he was able to cross the sea and get where he wanted. However, their boat was attacked by Maoris, the indigenous people of New Zealand, and four of their crew ended up dead. Abel Tasman returned home and stopped exploring the place he claimed to be.

After all, does the unknown continent really exist?

The answer is yes! In 2017, a group of geologists discovered zealand, an area that ended up disappearing under water. This was one of the reasons why many scientists could not find this new continent.

Dubbed Te Riu-a-Māui, in the Maori line, New Zealand is 94% underwater and only a few islands, including New Zealand, stand out. The area is 4.9 million square kilometers, which is nearly six times the size of Madagascar. In doing so, this can be considered the smallest continent in the world.

After numerous studies, scientists have come to the conclusion that Zealand is an independent continent, which is determined by the type of stones that are found there, which are characteristic of continental massifs.

However, because these studies are so time consuming, there are still some questions that need to be answered. Among them are the origin, the total expanse, and the flooded nature.

Unfortunately, according to Andy Tulloch, a geologist at the Crown Research Institute GNS Science in New Zealand, these surveys require a lot of time and money. So scientists will have a long way to go to discover more about New Zealand and its mysteries.