Welcome to Zealandia the Eighth Continent of the World

Well I must say, I am enjoying these years in science. We lost a planet nearly a decade ago, but somehow we have recently gained a continent. Ok, its mostly submegred, is smaller than Australia, and its biggest surface is New Zealand! The Geological Society published their findings, but nobody has officiated it the way Pluto was de-listed.

Yahoo!
A huge landmass, mostly submerged beneath the ocean, bears all the hallmarks of a continent, according to a new study published by the Geological Society of America. You may have heard of part of it: New Zealand.

They call the continent Zealandia. At nearly 1.9 million square miles, it seems massive, but it’s two-thirds the size of the world’s (current) smallest continent, Australia. Ninety-four percent of Zealandia is underwater, with most of the other 6 percent being New Zealand. But it’s what’s beneath the surface that counts, right?

The “Zealandia” moniker was coined by geophysicist Bruce Luyendyk in 1995 (see that famous page-turner “Hypothesis for Cretaceous Rifting of East Gondwana Caused By Subducted Slab Capture” for reference.)

Luyendyk argued at the time Zealandia checked three of the four boxes to be considered its own continent. But now geologists say it checks all four: distinctive geology; a finite, defined area; crust thicker than the standard ocean floor; and elevation above the surrounding area. Zealandia apparently has it all.

Maybe this is their way of discreetly announcing they found Atlantis! Or another theory, this continent is actually a massive space colony craft, and it will soon be charged up enough to catch some thrust and rise out of the ocean. Eh well, I think I will just stick to the facts for now. Interesting conclusion, I wonder how long before the scientific and academic community will accept this, if ever?

MIIINE!!

I wonder if New Zealand will try to use this info to claim all of that territory as their own? I mean things like drilling rights, territorial waters, etc. (For the record, I have no idea if they already claim that territory as their own or if some of it is legally classified as "international waters.")

a reply to: enlightenedservant

Al Gore already owns all the rights to the submerged portions, and that's why he's trying to get the funding via his carbon credit trading scheme to begin teleporting water out into outer space to bring the sea level down to expose it all and cash in.

a reply to: enlightenedservant

That is most certainly a very interesting question, and may very well work out in their favor based on what I am reading. I did a quick search and found this corresponding information as to economic zones, boundaries, etc etc..

Wikipedia
Territorial waters or a territorial sea as defined by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,[1] is a belt of coastal waters extending at most 12 nautical miles (22.2 km; 13.8 mi) from the baseline (usually the mean low-water mark) of a coastal state. The territorial sea is regarded as the sovereign territory of the state, although foreign ships (civilian) are allowed innocent passage through it, or transit passage for straits; this sovereignty also extends to the airspace over and seabed below. Adjustment of these boundaries is called, in international law, maritime delimitation.

The term "territorial waters" is also sometimes used informally to refer to any area of water over which a state has jurisdiction, including internal waters, the contiguous zone, the exclusive economic zone and potentially the continental shelf.

An exclusive economic zone extends from the outer limit of the territorial sea to a maximum of 200 nautical miles (370.4 km; 230.2 mi) from the territorial sea baseline, thus it includes the contiguous zone.[3] A coastal nation has control of all economic resources within its exclusive economic zone, including fishing, mining, oil exploration, and any pollution of those resources.

Rights over the continental shelf

Articles 77 to 81 define the rights of a country over its continental shelf.

A coastal nation has control of all resources on or under its continental shelf, living or not, but no control over any living organisms above the shelf that are beyond its exclusive economic zone. This gives it the right to conduct petroleum drilling works and lay submarine cables or pipelines in its continental shelf.

An example of this is the ongoing dispute over resources in the Arctic area, which will be decided by the exact mapping of the continental shelves.

Sorry, thats a lot of reading. So in essence, even if the shelf goes beyond their EEZ, they maintain the rights to anything on it, but cannot hold jurisdiction to living things above it which are beyond the EEZ. Now with this scientific declaration, it means New Zealand's rights to just what you mentioned have now extended much further than prior. I am going to guess if there is any protest over making this official, it will come from the Academia and scientists in Asia and Australia on behalf of their governments no doubt, in an effort not to lose potential mining and economic rights of their own under existing maritime delimitation.

Something to keep an eye for sure. Anyone out there have any maps of potential oil reserves that have been identified within what would now be gained territory for NZ???

Zealandia pfft

Just another attempt at those pesky Kiwis trying to steal us Aussies thunder, were the smallest continent and thats final!!!!

Aussie Aussie Aussie

a reply to: worldstarcountry

That's exactly what I was talking about.


That's the real issue with China and its neighbors in regards to their nearby islands. And I vaguely remember something between Russia, the US, Canada, and some of the other Arctic nations about similar rights up there. So I wouldn't be surprised if we saw counter claims about this new continent.

In fact, now I'm curious to see who was backing the scientists who released this particular discovery. If you were a mining company or energy company that had a lot of business in New Zealand, a discovery like this could possibly make you a fortune. So backing research like this would be seen as an investment.

a reply to: IkNOwSTuff

Well, unlike delisting Pluto as a planet, I think making this continent official will be a much harder task as it involves billions in potential revenue gained and/or lost to various interested parties.

I found this map, but I cannot read anything because it wants me to order the full 1500MM wall chart, which is free if folded, but somehow costs 94$ to ship to me in the us, even though it will be folded up.
In any case, what it appears to me is that New Zealand would gain economic rights to underwater resources which are currently in International waters, and may even push up against Australia's border. Things like this can turn good friends into sudden rivals.

Um, wait a minute, if it arose that'd make it the 7th continent on the planet. Duh!

Still naming Europe a "continent" is Politically inCorrect backwardsness.

a reply to: IkNOwSTuff

I suspect that there would probably have been a land-bridge or two somewhere in there...given how close they are.

I don't see another continent, I see an island included with Oz-land. There, your claim to fame is safe.

originally posted by: IkNOwSTuff
Zealandia pfft

Just another attempt at those pesky Kiwis trying to steal us Aussies thunder, were the smallest continent and thats final!!!!

Aussie Aussie Aussie

For billions of years, we have been slowly and surreptitiously sliding underneath the Australian plate. Soon we will be the foundation of Australia and then we own you.

Bwah ha ha...!

a reply to: chr0naut

Damn. You guys is sneaky!

originally posted by: seagull
a reply to: chr0naut

Damn. You guys is sneaky!

We practice sneaking up on sheep.

a reply to: chr0naut

You better not be wearing any of those "sheep boots".

a reply to: chr0naut

I'm soooo not goin' there.

Though, if I must, I would think kangaroos would be more challenging...

Brain bleach...must have...

Posted earlier here
www.abovetopsecret.com...


Please add further comments to the ongoing discussion in the above linked thread.
Thanks

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