New zealand continental

You're referring to the concept of a hypothetical "New Zealand continental" or "Zealandia"!

Zealandia is a proposed continental fragment that is believed to have existed in the distant past, but has since been submerged beneath the Pacific Ocean. The idea of Zealandia was first proposed in the 1990s by a team of geologists who were studying the geology of New Zealand and the surrounding region.

The concept of Zealandia is based on the idea that the supercontinent of Gondwana, which included modern-day Australia, Antarctica, and South America, began to break apart around 180 million years ago. As Gondwana fragmented, a large chunk of landmass, including the modern-day New Zealand, broke off and sank beneath the ocean.

Zealandia is thought to have been a large continent, roughly the size of India, with its own unique geology, flora, and fauna. It is believed to have been formed around 200 million years ago, during the Jurassic period, and to have existed until around 40 million years ago, during the Eocene epoch.

The evidence for Zealandia comes from a variety of sources, including:

1. Geological mapping: The geology of New Zealand and the surrounding region shows a pattern of ancient rocks that are similar to those found on other continents, but are not found on the modern-day New Zealand.
2. Magnetic anomalies: The Earth's magnetic field has reversed many times over the past few billion years, and the pattern of these reversals is recorded in the rocks. The magnetic anomalies found in the rocks of New Zealand and the surrounding region suggest that the region was once part of a larger continent.
3. Paleomagnetism: Paleomagnetism is the study of the Earth's magnetic field as recorded in rocks. The paleomagnetic data from New Zealand and the surrounding region suggests that the region was once part of a larger continent.
4. Fossil evidence: Fossils found in New Zealand and the surrounding region are similar to those found on other continents, but are not found on the modern-day New Zealand.

While the concept of Zealandia is still a topic of debate among geologists, it is widely accepted that New Zealand was once part of a larger continent, and that the region has a complex and fascinating geological history.