Science and Health

Scientists Believe They've Found Proof Of A Long-Lost Continent

A study says 2-billion-year-old minerals found on a much younger island is proof of a long-lost continent.

Scientists Believe They've Found Proof Of A Long-Lost Continent
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Scientists believe they found proof of a long-lost continent.

The evidence of this massive discovery comes from the tiny island of Mauritius, located between India and Madagascar in the Indian Ocean.

Mauritius is a relatively young landmass at about 9 million years old. But researchers found some zircon minerals on the island that were billions of years old.

New Study Shows The Solomon Islands Are Being Swallowed By The Ocean
New Study Shows The Solomon Islands Are Being Swallowed By The Ocean

New Study Shows The Solomon Islands Are Being Swallowed By The Ocean

A study revealed that at least five islands from the Solomon Islands have disappeared, attributing the sinking to climate change and trade winds.

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So how does an island contain minerals that are older than the island itself? 

"When Africa and India began to spread apart, they leave pieces behind — one of which was later blanketed by volcanoes at about 6 to 7 million years ago, and it's invisible. So in that sense, it's a lost continent," professor Lewis Ashwal said.

Those volcanoes would eventually spew out the lava that became the island of Mauritius, but not before gathering enough evidence to help scientists discover how the world looked millions of years ago.