The Bellona Platform is a submarine geological feature encompassing the Chesterfield Islands (19°21′S 158°40′E / 19.350°S 158.667°E / -19.350; 158.667) and Bellona Reefs (21°00′00″S 158°59′58″E / 20.999948°S 158.999313°E / -20.999948; 158.999313) west of New Caledonia. It was once a 22,800 square kilometres (8,800 sq mi) landmass, which became mostly submerged when sea levels rose at the end of the Last Glacial Maximum, 20,000 years ago. It might have played a role in the spread of flora and fauna, including humans, in the southwest Pacific.[1]

References

  1. ↑ Nunn, Patrick D. (2009). Vanished Islands and Hidden Continents of the Pacific. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. p. 181. ISBN 978-0-8248-3219-3.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.