Scientists have finally figured out what happened to the lost continent ‘Argoland’ that went missing 155 million years ago
Dec 11, 2023, 18:50 IST
Before our global map transformed into the patchwork of dispersed continents we see today, supercontinents governed our planet. Due to plate tectonics, these vast land masses fractured unevenly during the late Jurassic period, leaving scientists with a puzzle to reconstruct Earth's history.
While most separated land fragments can be explained, some, like the enigmatic Argoland, have puzzled geologists for an extended period. Around 155 million years ago, during the late Jurassic split, a 5,000-kilometre continental strip detached from western Australia, leaving the Argo Abyssal Plain in its wake beneath the ocean.
Geologists concluded that after parting ways with Australia, Argoland embarked on a northwest journey, likely ending up in the vicinity of today's Southeast Asian islands. However, the challenge lies in the absence of a large continental strip beneath these islands. So, where did Argoland ultimately go?
If the continent had submerged into the Earth's mantle without leaving a geological trace, understanding our planet's geological past would be nearly impossible. Fortunately, geologists recently identified a commonality among land fragments beneath the jungles of Indonesia and Myanmar, suggesting they might belong to the same larger landmass.
Eldert Advokaat, the study's lead author, explained, "The situation in Southeast Asia is very different from places like Africa and South America, where a continent broke neatly into two pieces. Argoland splintered into many different shards, obstructing our view of the continent’s journey."
Over seven years, researchers reconstructed the lost continent's history, revealing that Argoland was not a single coherent continent but an 'Argopelago' of microcontinental fragments. The splintering began around 300 million years ago, accelerating around 215 million years ago, with remnants now resting near the Himalayas and the Philippines.
Although reconciliation between Australia and Argoland seems unlikely, the rediscovery offers closure. Additionally, this finding aids in understanding biodiversity, climate evolution, plate tectonics, and mountain formation.
The study's detailed findings are available in Gondwana Research.
Advertisement
While most separated land fragments can be explained, some, like the enigmatic Argoland, have puzzled geologists for an extended period. Around 155 million years ago, during the late Jurassic split, a 5,000-kilometre continental strip detached from western Australia, leaving the Argo Abyssal Plain in its wake beneath the ocean.
Geologists concluded that after parting ways with Australia, Argoland embarked on a northwest journey, likely ending up in the vicinity of today's Southeast Asian islands. However, the challenge lies in the absence of a large continental strip beneath these islands. So, where did Argoland ultimately go?
If the continent had submerged into the Earth's mantle without leaving a geological trace, understanding our planet's geological past would be nearly impossible. Fortunately, geologists recently identified a commonality among land fragments beneath the jungles of Indonesia and Myanmar, suggesting they might belong to the same larger landmass.
Eldert Advokaat, the study's lead author, explained, "The situation in Southeast Asia is very different from places like Africa and South America, where a continent broke neatly into two pieces. Argoland splintered into many different shards, obstructing our view of the continent’s journey."
Advertisement
Although reconciliation between Australia and Argoland seems unlikely, the rediscovery offers closure. Additionally, this finding aids in understanding biodiversity, climate evolution, plate tectonics, and mountain formation.
The study's detailed findings are available in Gondwana Research.