Six or Seven Continents?

[GordMay]

Earth may now have only six continents instead of seven

A new study [1], published in the journal Geology, posits that we actually only have six continents; not the seven, we’ve been taught [Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Oceania, Europe, North America, and South America], in North America.
However, in Europe, students usually learn that there are actually only six continents: Africa, America, Antarctica, Asia, Australia/Oceania, and Europe. There's even a five-continent model, which lists Africa, Europe, Asia, America and Oceania/Australia. (That's why there are five rings on the Olympic flag.) And some experts think four is the way to go, using as their criteria landmasses naturally separated by water, rather than manmade canals [AfroEurasia, America, Antarctica and Australia].

The team’s findings [1] indicate that: the North American, and Eurasian tectonic plates, have not yet actually broken apart, as is traditionally thought to have happened, about 52 million years ago.
Instead, these plates are continuing to stretch, and so are still in the process of breaking apart, rather than being wholly separate entities.
In other words, North America and Europe could be considered a single [linked] continent, rather than two distinct ones.

They argue [1] that: Iceland, along with the Greenland Iceland Faroes Ridge [GIFR], contains geological fragments, from both European and North American tectonic plates.
This, they say, suggests that these regions are not isolated landforms, as previously thought; but, they are interconnected pieces, of a larger continental structure.
The scientists have even coined the term “Rifted Oceanic Magmatic Plateau” [ROMP], to describe this new geological feature, which could have fundamental implications, for how we perceive the formation and separation of Earth’s continents.

So, should we consider merging the two sub-forum [Americas & Europe] into one?


[1] “Central Afar: An analogue for oceanic plateau development” ~ by Valentin Rime et al
➥ https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa...ceanic-plateau

[AiniA]

I taught geography in North America and would say there is a continent called Eurasia since there is no physical break between Europe and Asia. To my mind you have Eurasia, Africa, Oz/Oceania, Antarctica, North (and Central) America and South America. Near borders you get messy problems, e.g. Iceland and other spots on mid-atlanticn ridge and in the Caribbean. Trinidad is pretty obviously in South America and Cuba in North America but what Grenada and St Vincent? You can split a lot of hairs on this one.

[TeddyDiver]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Earth may now have only six continents instead of seven

A new study [1], published in the journal Geology, posits that we actually only have six continents; not the seven, we’ve been taught [Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Oceania, Europe, North America, and South America], in North America.
However, in Europe, students usually learn that there are actually only six continents: Africa, America, Antarctica, Asia, Australia/Oceania, and Europe. There's even a five-continent model, which lists Africa, Europe, Asia, America and Oceania/Australia. (That's why there are five rings on the Olympic flag.) And some experts think four is the way to go, using as their criteria landmasses naturally separated by water, rather than manmade canals [AfroEurasia, America, Antarctica and Australia].

The team’s findings [1] indicate that: the North American, and Eurasian tectonic plates, have not yet actually broken apart, as is traditionally thought to have happened, about 52 million years ago.
Instead, these plates are continuing to stretch, and so are still in the process of breaking apart, rather than being wholly separate entities.
In other words, North America and Europe could be considered a single [linked] continent, rather than two distinct ones.

They argue [1] that: Iceland, along with the Greenland Iceland Faroes Ridge [GIFR], contains geological fragments, from both European and North American tectonic plates.
This, they say, suggests that these regions are not isolated landforms, as previously thought; but, they are interconnected pieces, of a larger continental structure.
The scientists have even coined the term “Rifted Oceanic Magmatic Plateau” [ROMP], to describe this new geological feature, which could have fundamental implications, for how we perceive the formation and separation of Earth’s continents.

So, should we consider merging the two sub-forum [Americas & Europe] into one?


[1] “Central Afar: An analogue for oceanic plateau development” ~ by Valentin Rime et al
➥ https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa...ceanic-plateau

Semantics.. one can always chance the definition of a continent to get whatever arbitual number between 3-10 is desired at any moment. What comes to Iceland there's a better argument to join America to Eurasia-Africa over the Bering straight.

[GordMay]

Continents are generally identified by convention, rather than any strict definition [specific criteria], with models ranging anywhere from 4 to 7 continents*.
The criteria used can be of geographical, historical, cultural, anthropological, political, or even of philosophical nature.

There are many different, and confusing definitions, of what a continent is. The most widely accepted one says that:

A continent is defined as a large, continuous, discrete mass of land, ideally [but, not necessarily] separated by an expanse of water.

No required minimum size to qualify as "large" [or "very large"] has been defined, nor the requisite degree of physical separation.

* As I previously noted [#1], different parts of the world teach different versions of the continents.
The seven-continent model is usually taught in China, and most English speaking countries.
A six continent model, combining Europe and Asia, is usually preferred by the geographic community, the former parts of the USSR, and Japan.
Another six continent model, combining North and South America, is taught in Latin America, and most of Europe.

[jhall767]

Of more importance than how many continents is what are the Seven Seas and how many of them have you sailed upon?

[boatman61]

Caribbean Sea, North Sea, Baltic Sea, Sea of Marmara, Mediterranean Sea, Arabian Sea, Red Sea..

[GordMay]

The Greeks defined the seven seas as the Caspian, Mediterranean, Black, Red, Adriatic, Aegean Seas, and the Persian Gulf.
Once Europeans travelled across the rest of the globe, their list of known seas grew; geographers today recognize that the earth has about fifty seas*.
Even the number of oceans is often debated.
See ➥ https://seahistory.org/sea-history-f...he-seven-seas/
and:
* To geographers, a sea is a division of the ocean that is enclosed or partly enclosed by land.
➥ https://education.nationalgeographic...e/worlds-seas/

[OldManMirage]

Great...first we lose a planet - Pluto - now we're losing continents.

What's next...the moon ?

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by OldManMirage

Great...first we lose a planet - Pluto - now we're losing continents.
What's next...the moon ?

Indeed. Those educated 'elites' are always messing, with us real folk.
You could always sign the petition to:
Make Pluto A Planet ➥ https://www.change.org/p/make-pluto-...4319_en-US%3A9

Originally Posted by PlutoTV

“Dear Fellow Fans of Pluto,

It is time to right a cosmic wrong and restore Pluto to its former glory as a full-fledged planet.

Eighteen years ago, Pluto was demoted to ‘dwarf planet’ in a vote that was both unfounded and unfair. Pluto’s adversaries argued that it failed to meet the new qualifications to be considered a planet, namely that it had not cleared debris from its orbit. If that’s the case, Earth and Jupiter would not qualify either. With such inconsistency around what determines a planet, relegating Pluto to ‘dwarf’ status is simply semantic gymnastics and giving space enthusiasts wordplay whiplash.

Further, the vote in 2006 consisted of only 4% of the world’s astronomers, leaving many experts who were not present baffled and outraged. At the time, Dr. Alan Stern, lead investigator for NASA’s first and only mission to Pluto, said, “This is so scientifically sloppy and internally inconsistent that it is embarrassing.” We couldn’t agree more.

Pluto TV, the proud sponsor of this petition, has always felt a special affinity with its namesake. We are both accustomed to breaking the mold and defying expectations, helping people across the solar system redefine what a planet or a streaming service can look like. In honor of Pluto TV’s 10th anniversary, we are asking that the conversation to reinstate Pluto as a planet be revived and a new vote take place with a quorum present.

Please sign this petition if you believe Pluto’s status should be revisited and given a fair review because every planet deserves its moment in the sun, no matter how many billions of miles away it is.

With celestial solidarity,
Citizens of Pluto”

[GordMay]

Scientists discovered "deep mantle waves" causing interiors of continents to rise.
➥ https://www.southampton.ac.uk/news/2...ted%20plateaus.

The impressive escarpments, that line the coasts of continents, speak to a geologic break-up, that occurred nearly 140 million years ago.
Now, scientists have discovered that resulting “deep mantle waves”, from these tectonic separations, likely, caused the interiors of continents to rise, forming plateaus.
This discovery should help scientists understand the mysterious machinations of the mantle, while, also, better identifying ways that geologic processes may have impacted biodiversity, and ancient climate.

“Coevolution of craton margins and interiors during continental break-up” ~ by Thomas M. Gernon et al
➥ https://www.nature.com/articles/s415...7700770a82b838

“Rift-induced disruption of cratonic keels drives kimberlite volcanism” ~ by Thomas M. Gernon et al
➥ https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06193-3

[wholybee]

I have never equated tectonic plates to equal continents. So, I don't think any finding about North America and Europe being on the same plate should change the number of continents.

It would be nice to have an agreed on set of boundaries.