Consider the following statements regarding Argoland, recently seen in...
Geologists recently discovered Argoland, a landmass that detached from modern-day western Australia 155 million years ago.
About Argoland:
- It was a lost continent that once broke off from northwestern Australia 155 million years ago.
- The elusive, 3,106-mile stretch was once an integral part of the supercontinent Gondwana.
- It disintegrated as tectonic forces stretched the landmass out and drove it away from the rest of the continent before scattering it across Southeast Asia.
- It had initially drifted northwest, where several Southeast Asian islands currently exist today.
- But unlike India, which broke off the ancient supercontinent Gondwana 120 million years ago and still forms an intact landmass today, Argoland splintered into fragments.
- These fragments reaching their destinations simultaneously formed an archipelago rather than a unified landmass.
- Argoland, now dispersed as an archipelago separated by ocean basins, contributed to the formation of several Southeast Asian islands.
Key Facts about Gondwana:
- Gondwana used to be a supercontinent, from around 550 million years ago to approximately 180 million years ago, alongside Laurasia.
- The continent eventually split intothe landmasses we recognize today: Africa, South America, Australia, Antarctica, the Indian subcontinent, and the Arabian Peninsula.
Hence both statements are correct.
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Consider the following statements regarding Argoland, recently seen in...
The correct answer is option 'C' - Both 1 and 2 are correct.
Explanation:
1. Like India, Argoland was once an integral part of the supercontinent Gondwana:
- Gondwana was a supercontinent that existed around 550 million years ago and began to break apart around 180 million years ago.
- It included several present-day continents, including South America, Africa, Australia, Antarctica, the Indian subcontinent (including India), and some smaller landmasses.
- India was a part of Gondwana and was located near the eastern coast of Africa during that time.
- Argoland, which is now a part of Southeast Asia, was also a part of Gondwana.
- Due to the tectonic movements and continental drift, Gondwana broke apart, and its landmasses drifted to their present locations.
2. Argoland contributed to the formation of several Southeast Asian islands:
- The tectonic movements and collision of continental plates led to the formation of various landforms, including islands.
- The collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates resulted in the formation of the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau.
- The same tectonic forces also led to the formation of several islands in Southeast Asia.
- As Argoland, which was once a part of Gondwana, moved towards its present location, it collided with the Eurasian plate.
- This collision resulted in the formation of various land features, including mountains, valleys, and islands, in Southeast Asia.
- Some of the well-known islands formed due to these tectonic processes are Sumatra, Java, Borneo, and the Philippines.
- These islands are located in the region known as the Sunda Shelf or the Sundaland, which was formed as a result of the collision between the Argoland and the Eurasian plate.
Therefore, both statements are correct. Argoland, like India, was once a part of Gondwana, and its movement contributed to the formation of several Southeast Asian islands.