Australia formed by three continent collision: study

Reuters - Science ^ | 2006-08-17

[Junior]

SYDNEY (Reuters) - The island continent of Australia was once three continents which collided 1.64 billion years ago, a new study has found, prompting speculation of new mineral deposits in the outback.

"Northern, western and central Australia all belonged to different continents," said Kate Selway, author of the study.

"If you looked south from Alice Springs (in central Australia) before 1.64 billion years ago, you would have seen an ocean," Selway said in a statement on Thursday.

"The huge forces involved in this collision produced volcanoes which actually helped create the crust of central Australia," she said.

Selway, a PhD student supervised by two professors from the University of Adelaide, said probing the Earth beneath central Australia uncovered a collision zone.

Using a geophysical technique called magnetotellurics allowed her to penetrate sediment along the border of the three previous continents and measure the electrical conductivity of the Earth up to hundreds of kilometers below the surface.

The study found northern Australia was more conductive than central Australia and that the boundary between the two areas extended to at least 150km (93 miles) in depth.

Selway said her findings mean there could be new mineral deposits where the former separate continents joined to form Australia. Central Australia's main minerals include copper, uranium (Olympic dam) and opals.

"Not only does this kind of information help us to understand how our continent formed it can also be fundamental in finding the next big mineral deposit," she said.

"Such structures play an important role in determining how fluids move under the surface and it is these fluids which often carry the metals that can concentrate into valuable mineral deposits."

[Junior]

Gee, a practical use for the knowledge of the age of the Earth...

[Junior]

Ping.

[kellynch]

Wait! Plate tectonics and continental drift aren't mentioned in the Bible. What do we do???

[Quark2005]

Gee, a practical use for the knowledge of the age of the Earth...

Fantastic article, Junior.

Continental drift & the jigsaw fit of the continents is probably the most blatantly obvious fact (among thousands of others) that makes the idea of young-earth-creationism look utterly absurd. This is a great example of how ignoring real science (i.e. the interpretation that actually works) can cost people big time.

[PatrickHenry]

Not quite evo, but still, I could deploy the list. Those who resist accepting evolution probably oppose this too. Lemme know if you think the list should be pung.

[RightWhale]

Thanks. I will have to revise my velcro-continent globe, but dividing up Australia complicates things--too many small pieces. How about Antarctica? One piece? This continental collision hypothesis conflicts seriously with the expanding earth hypothesis.

[Pyro7480]

Fascinating. I'm one of those who believe in an old-Earth, but I don't believe in evolution.

[sagar]

"What do we do???"

If god had said "I created tectonic plates that collided to form Australia", Adam would have been like "whuh??"

[Junior]

That's why I pinged you in the first place...

[PatrickHenry]

Evolution Ping The List-O-Links

A conservative, pro-evolution science list, now with over 390 names. See the list's explanation, then FReepmail to be added or dropped. To assist beginners: But it's "just a theory", Evo-Troll's Toolkit, and How to argue against a scientific theory.

[PLOM...NOT!]

...that makes the idea of young-earth-creationism look utterly absurd.

I really don't want to get into a evo-crevo debate and I won't, BUT there is nothing absurd about a "young-earth". God put Adam on the earth as a fully grown man, not an infant. He created the earth as a fully grown object as well, which is now at its x-thousand year birthday.

[sagar]

"Fascinating. I'm one of those who believe in an old-Earth, but I don't believe in evolution."

You believe in the evolution of earth, but not the evolution of life?

[Verginius Rufus]

Australia formed by three continent collision

Women and minorities suffered the most.

[Pharmboy]

Nice new tag line...and it is indeed too true.

[LibertarianSchmoe]

"Australia was quoted as saying, 'My grandaddy weren't no continent!'"

[Junior]

Interesting though that He found it necessary to include evidence of a billion+ year-old collision between continents when it was completely unecessary...

[Quark2005]

He created the earth as a fully grown object as well, which is now at its x-thousand year birthday.

If the earth was made with the appearance of several billion years of age, doesn't that still mean that assuming the conventional geological concept of a multi-billion-year-old earth is the only good scientific theory for producing results?

How would you potentially falsify a theory in which the earth & universe was created with the mere appearance of age? You can't - that's why young-earth-creationism of this sort is not science.

[atlaw]

This is only evidence of micro-drift. Everybody accepts micro-drift. But there's no proof of macro-drift. None. Zip. Nada. Macro-drift is just a theory, and the "continental neo-drifters" who preach their macro-drift religion are spinning blatant lies just to keep their grant money.

[LibertarianSchmoe]

Great point! Also, Darth Vader was a proponent of driftism.

[The_Victor]

If the earth was made with the appearance of several billion years of age, doesn't that still mean that assuming the conventional geological concept of a multi-billion-year-old earth is the only good scientific theory for producing results?

It was all part of the computer matrix to determine the answer to life, the universe, and everything. Just ask Slartibartfast.