Typical view of Mauritius beachfront with volcanic mountains, which are over 9 million years old. (Image by Susan J. Webb, University of the Witwatersrand)
Three billion-year-old minerals found under Mauritius suggest that the island was once part of a lost continent. Zircon crystals ranging from two-and-a-half to three billion years of age were found in lava brought up to the surface of Mauritius by volcanic eruptions. These minerals are part of a growing body of evidence that suggests that some ocean-island volcanoes sit on top of continental crust – not just oceanic crust, as previously thought.
Authors:
Lewis D. Ashwal, Michael Wiedenbeck & Trond H. Torsvik
Corresponding author:
Lewis Ashwal, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, Email: Lewis.Ashwal@wits.ac.za, Tel: +27 22 717 6652
Original paper published in Nature Communications on January 31, 2017.
