Overview
Researchers at Utrecht University in the Netherlands have unveiled an intriguing find—Argoland. This landmass separated from what is now western Australia approximately 155 million years ago.
This elusive expanse, spanning 3,106 miles, was once a crucial component of the supercontinent Gondwana. Its rupture occurred beneath the dense canopies of Indonesia and Myanmar, revealing a hidden chapter in Earth’s ancient geological history.
Argoland – The Continent Rediscovered after 155 Million Years
Approximately 215 million years ago, a pivotal event triggered an accelerated breakup, causing the continent to shatter into thin pieces.
Argoland, now disseminated across ocean basins, has developed into an archipelago after its initial northwest drift, playing a role in forming various Southeast Asian islands.
The team of geologists, spearheaded by Eldert Advokaat and Douwe van Hinsbergen, conducted an extensive seven-year investigation. They drew parallels between Argoland and another ancient continent, Greater Adria, rediscovered in 2019. Similar to Adria, Argoland fractured into multiple fragments.
Did the continent actually vanish?
The breakthrough occurred when Advokaat and his team discerned crucial geological clues in the Himalayas and the Philippines. These fragments of Argoland, reaching their respective destinations simultaneously, merged into an archipelago rather than a unified landmass.
While scientists successfully identified remnants of ribbon continents in Southeast Asia, unravelling the mysteries of the chain known as ‘Argoland’ posed a considerable challenge. Initially, the missing continent was a unified landmass, setting it apart from regions like South America and Africa, where continents are nearly torn.
A shared map depicting the current location of Argoland reveals that its fragments have predominantly shifted eastward of Indonesia, with some making their way towards Myanmar.
Contrary to initial assumptions of Argoland vanishing, researchers now assert that it endured, persisting as an extensively stretched and fragmented collection beneath the islands east of Indonesia. This revelation has enabled scientists to trace Argoland’s trajectory over the past 155 million years.
Recognising that Argoland is not a cohesive landmass but a series of microcontinents, Eldert Advokaat and his colleagues at Utrecht University introduced a novel term for this complex entity – Argopelago.
Advokaat emphasised a crucial observation, stating that they could now assert their knowledge regarding the amount of crust present, its significant extension, and the ability to incorporate these findings into the geological record discovered in Southeast Asia.
Additionally, he conveyed that continents are not lost without a trace; they can still be located. This implies that researchers can reconstruct Earth’s appearance reasonably reliably in the deep geological past.
What constituted Argoland?
In their recently published Gondwana Research study, the authors announced a significant breakthrough this month. They have pinpointed Gondwana-derived blocks and mega-units in various regions, including Southwest Borneo, Greater Paternoster, East Java, South Sulawesi, West Burma, and Mount Victoria Land. According to their findings, these identified fragments collectively may constitute pieces of Argoland, shedding light on the intricate puzzle of its geological history.
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