The truth about the discovery of a 120-million-year-old lost part of the Earth in Borneo

Geologists have discovered the ancient remains of a long-lost tectonic plate in Borneo that is believed to be 120 million years old, according to new data. Called "Pontus", this slab offers new insights into the Earth's geological past and the dramatic tectonic activity that formed the continents we know today.

Suzanne van de Lagemaat was reportedly behind this discovery. graduate geologist from Utrecht University in the Netherlands, and her supervisor Douwe van Hinsbergen. They analyzed geological data from rock formations in the Asia-Pacific region, which led to the understanding that the Pontus plate was in fact a completely new discovery and previously unknown to science.

Van de Lagemaat was originally believed that the rock formations in northern Borneo were the remains of a previously known plate. However, during magnetic laboratory tests, it became apparent that these rocks originated much further north, leading the team to conclude that they had found evidence of an ancient Pontus plate.

Researchers believe that the Pontus plate actually existed long before the breakup of the supercontinent Pangea. This geological event began about 160 million years ago, and Pontus is thought to cover an area about a quarter the size of the Pacific Ocean. This massive tectonic plate, responsible for separating Eurasia from Australia, was eventually absorbed by other tectonic plates as the continents drifted apart. This process is believed to have contributed to the current position of regions such as Borneo and the Philippines.

The Pontus plate, which was part of the world's crust before it broke away from the supercontinent Pangea, is likely was about a quarter the size of the Pacific Ocean. These estimates were based on reconstructions of what things might have looked like 160 million years ago.

Van de Lagemaat focused primarily on the complex Junction region, which is generally referred to as an area of tectonic activity stretching from Japan to New Zealand, including Borneo and the Philippines. Exploring the Junction region is vital to understanding how Earth's tectonic plates have continued to move over millions of years. Using geological data and magnetic studies, Van de Lagemaat and her team reconstructed the movements of these plates, further revealing the hidden history of the Pontus plate.

Source: timesofindia