It is a revolutionary theory proposed by geologists from the University of Durham (England). The experts have published a study in which they expose that Iceland would be only the tip of a vast sunken continent: a fragment of the ancient supercontinent Pangea called Icelandia and that could cover an area of up to a million square kilometers; that is, the sunken continent could extend from Greenland to Europe.
This theory challenges long-held ideas about the composition of the crust that underlies the North Atlantic and also about how volcanic islands like Iceland were formed. Experts argue that Pangea did not completely split across the mid-Atlantic more than 50 million years ago, but rather that part of it spread or stretched, leaving Iceland’s continental crust across the dividing line. According to the team, it could contain unexploited mineral and hydrocarbon resources for exploitation.
Test the theory
Is there a continent just under the water? Here begins an arduous task to be done to prove the existence of Icelandia, but it also brings a completely different view of the geological understanding of the world by scientists. Once COVID-19 restrictions allow, scientists around the world will collaborate to test this hypothesis.
Referencia: «Icelandia», In the Footsteps of Warren B. Hamilton: New Ideas in Earth Science. Gillian R. Foulger, Laurent Gernigon, Laurent Geoffroy. Geological Society of America (2021).DOI:https://doi.org/10.1130/2021.2553(04)
