
Long-lost continent found under the Indian Ocean - narad
http://www.nature.com/news/long-lost-continent-found-under-the-indian-ocean-1.12487
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narad
It was called Kumari Continent[1]

[1] <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumari_Kandam>

~~~
yread
> about three times the size of Crete

Crete is ~8000km2 so this "continent" would be <30000km2.

That makes it less than half the size of Sri Lanka

~~~
masklinn
Big enough to host a significant culture or proto-culture leading to a rosy
generational memory, small enough that it can rather easily be sunk/destroyed
by a disaster with only local impact (as opposed to the completely insane
representation of a continent basically covering the current indian ocean in
the linked article)

~~~
yread
Sure, Crete itself hosted a very significant culture
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minoan_civilization> which disappeared
(probably) due to a natural catastrophe (Thera eruption, 600 times bigger than
Eyjafjallajökull)

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n3rdy
What's the difference between a micro continent and an island?

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ovis
A micro-continent is composed of continental crust (e.g. granite). The oceans
are mostly underlain by basalts. Because the of the density difference between
granite and basalt, continents tend to remain at the surface longer, which is
why the age of the zircons implies a former continent.

A micro continent may or may not form an island, which is just a bit of rock
(continental or otherwise) that sticks up above the water.

~~~
masklinn
> A micro continent may or may not form an island, which is just a bit of rock
> (continental or otherwise) that sticks up above the water.

Example: Zealandia, of which New Zealand is the main remnant

