Zealandia

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/zealandia

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How big is Zealandia?Approximately 4,900,000 km² (1,900,000 sq mi)
2. How heavy is Zealandia?New Zealand, New Caledonia
3. What is the location?Predominantly submerged in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, east of Australia
4. What is the estimated age?Over 1 billion years

Continental Crust: The thicker, less dense layer of Earth's lithosphere that forms continents and continental shelves.
Gondwana: A supercontinent that existed during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras, comprising present-day continents of Africa, South America, Antarctica, Australia, and India.
Plate Tectonics: The scientific theory describing the large-scale motion of Earth's lithosphere, which is divided into rigid plates that move over the asthenosphere.
Subsidence: The sinking or settling of the Earth's surface, often due to geological processes or the removal of subsurface material.