Prehistoric subcontinent discovered beneath the Indian Ocean.
According to research published in the February 24th issue of the journal Nature Geoscience, scientists have found traces of a subcontinent called Mauritius, hidden beneath islands in the Indian Ocean.
The ancient continent of Mauritius was formed in prehistoric times, approximately 61-83 million years ago, after Madagascar separated from India. However, after the separation, the continent was covered by a thick layer of volcanic lava deposits.
Scientists believe they have found a fragment of the Mauritius subcontinent buried beneath the Indian Ocean. (Source: in2eastafrica.net)
These scientists analyzed sea sand in Mauritius, which contains the ancient mineral zircon dating back 660 million to 2 billion years. The tiny components of the mineral are a remarkable finding; they were buried in the sand and only recently formed under the geological conditions of molten rock dating back 9 million years.
Zircon mineral composition has indicated the existence of a subcontinental plate lying beneath Mauritius. These mineral samples were brought to the surface by recent volcanic activity.
Scientists believe that the Indian Ocean floor may be covered with hidden tectonic plates, which were fractured and separated when the supercontinent Pangea broke apart and formed the continents we know today.
The research team emphasized that Mauritius may have formed in much the same way as other continental plates, the only difference being that it was hidden.
The supercontinent Pangaea began to break apart into smaller continents about 200 million years ago. During the Jurassic period, between 80 and 130 million years ago, the supercontinent Pangaea split into two parts: the southern part, Gondwana, and the northern part, Laurasia.
The Gondwana continent then included present-day South America, Africa, Antarctica, Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand, India, Madagascar, and the Arabian subcontinent, while Laurasia included present-day Europe, Asia (excluding India and the Arabian subcontinent), and North America.
According to (Vietnam+) - VT
