Did a Continent Sink?

Recent seafloor drilling has revealed that the hidden continent Zealandia -- an area twice the size of India submerged beneath the southwest Pacific Ocean -- experienced dramatic elevation changes between about 50 and 35 million years ago.

Which continents are sinking?

There are two known submerged continents, the Kerguelen Plateau and Zealandia. The rising levels of the sea are thought to have caused the sinking of the submerged lands.

Is there a continent underwater?

Scientists confirmed the existence of an eighth continent, called Zealandia, under New Zealand and the surrounding ocean in 2017. Because 94% of Zealandia's 2 million square miles are underwater, mapping the continent is challenging.