Under Europe discovered the remains of an ancient continent

Earth

Looking at the map of the world, it may seem that he was always so. And it's not about the borders of States. Let's talk about continents and remember what we know about them. Continents is called large areas of land (earth's crust) that are above the level of the oceans. For there are seven continents: Europe, Africa, Asia, South America, North America, Australia and Antarctica. Recently, however, geologists have found evidence of a lost continent called the Great Andria. But as scientists have found out and where does one get “lost” continents?

How many continents exist on Earth?

On our planet there is a huge number of processes, to understand which is not so easy, especially when talking about large scale. To have calmed down a little in the head, let's not forget that the surface of our planet — is the alternation of land with the oceans. occupy most of the surface of the Earth, but to the land and island is about 149 square kilometers, accounting for about 29% of the total surface of the planet. Not so much, right?

looks like a complete physical map of the world

As strange as it may seem,but geologists do not always agree with each other regarding the number of continents on Earth. Often you can find allegations that their six. The fact that some experts do not share in North and South America two different continents. In fact, from a geological point of view this is really one continent. However, the origin of continents experts explain in different ways.

How did the continents?

So, according to the theory put forward in the early twentieth century, German scientist Alfred Wegener called mobilism, the earth crust is divided into several separate lithospheric blocks — plates, also called tectonic. The mantle, which is under the earth's crust is in motion. Because of this, tectonic plates move and collide with each other, thereby forming an image of the planet Earth.

Tectonic plates separated from each other by fault lines. Today, specialists account for about 15 tectonic plates. Seven of them are the largest, and the diameter has about 16 million km. And most importantly — their shape corresponds to the shape of the continents that lie on their surface.

Supercontinent Pangaea looked like this

Thus, there are a number of assumptions because on our planet there was one huge superocean and supercontinent called Pangaea, which later split into two large continent of Laurasia (North) and Gondwana (South). Laurasia broke up after 250 million years, and her part later acquired outlines of familiar with you today continents: Africa, Antarctica, South America and Australia. Gondwana, respectively, formed North America, Europe and Asia. Along with the formation of the continents, is the formation of lodges of the oceans. These processes continue unabated today. To discuss these and other amazing discoveries in .

What is the lost continent?

Most Likely you have heard stories about lost continents. Why is only one — the lost continent that was consumed by the sea along with all the residents. However, convincing evidence that the story described in his dialogues of the ancient thinker Plato, however, is not.

it looked like a Large Andria 140 million years ago.

And yet, lost lands do exist. From time to time experts recovered from the seabed the remains of a once-existing continents. So, geologists have long suspected the existence of the continent, called the Great Andria. Not so long ago in the mountain ranges of southern Europe, experts have discovered the limestones and other rocks, testifying in favor of this hypothesis. However, to prove the existence of a Large Andria recently able only recently.

The fact that the remains of a Large Andria meet to this day in different countries of Europe. A study in the journal Science. In the study, researchers created a model through which they were able to reconstruct the history of a huge landmass — the most Gondwana. Experts have established that the majority of Adria was separated from the supercontinent Gondwana about 240 million years ago.

After this happened, a Large Andria headed North. Approximately 140 million years ago this continent was . Later, from 120 to 100 million years ago Andria Large are faced with the fact that scientists today call Europe. The collision of a Large Andria sank and was buried under the continent.

What is left of a Large Andria?

Note that the study took more than 10 years. The reason lies in the fact that on the surface there are not many traces of Large, Andria — mostly small rocks, scattered in more than thirty countries. It is not surprising that the study lasted so long — just imagine how much you had to perform and collect data.

How much do you think is still missing continents will find scientists?