A new research has revealed how the new subduction zone in Tasman Sea came in over millions of years, a bit of the “hidden” continent of Zealandia on the boundary between the Australian and Pacific plates.
- According to the Live Science, Zealandia is a submerged section of continental crust the size of Australia around New Zealand.
- The Tasman Sea is home to the Puysegur Trench, site of one of the youngest subduction zones on the planet. Here, the Australian plate is shoved under the Pacific plate, creating frequent large earthquakes.
- Subduction zones are one of the most important plate boundaries. They’re really the main drivers of plate tectonics, so they’re the primary reason why the plates on Earth actually move.
(Source: Live Science)
