In a groundbreaking discovery, experts have identified ancient remnants of a long-lost tectonic plate, dubbed Pontus, dating back an astonishing 120 million years. This finding sheds new light on Earth’s history and underscores the ongoing quest for knowledge about our planet. According to Indy100.com, researchers Suzanna van de Lagemaat and Douwe van Hinsbergen from Utrecht University made the breakthrough by analysing geological data from the Asia-Pacific region. Their prediction has now been confirmed, revealing the existence of Pontus, a previously unknown part of Earth’s crust in Borneo. 

Geologist Suzanna van de Lagemaat said, “We thought we were dealing with relics of a lost plate that we already knew about. But our magnetic lab research on those rocks indicated that our finds were originally from much farther north, and had to be remnants of a different, previously unknown plate.”

She continued, ”But our magnetic lab research on those rocks indicated that our finds were originally from much farther north, and had to be remnants of a different, previously unknown plate.”

Press release!@Suzannavdl‘s PhD research yielded a nice surprise: the reconstruction of the Pontus Plate that we predicted 11 years ago based on tomography. And now it rolled out of her reconstruction 🤠.https://t.co/rNUOM8oazK@UUGeo@UUEarthSciencespic.twitter.com/3hXVeSx334

— Douwe van Hinsbergen (@vanHinsbergen) October 9, 2023

Researchers reconstructed the ancient Pontus plate, estimating it covered an area roughly one-quarter the size of the Pacific Ocean. Formed during the supercontinent Pangaea, Pontus lay beneath the vast ocean separating Eurasia and Australia 160 million years ago. As Pangaea broke apart, the Pontus plate was gradually subducted or swallowed by neighbouring plates. This geological process carried countries like the Philippines and Borneo to their present-day locations.

Notably, van de Lagemaat focussed her research on the intricate Junction Region, where tectonic plates converge between Japan, Borneo, the Philippines, New Guinea, and New Zealand. Her groundbreaking research enabled the creation of a stunning visual reconstruction.

This 3D clip revealed 160 million years of tectonic plate movements, from the dinosaur era to the present day.