Davis Strait Proto-Microcontinent

Davis Strait Proto-Microcontinent Latest News

A hidden landmass called the Davis Strait proto-microcontinent has been found beneath the icy waters of the Davis Strait, the body of water that separates Canada’s Baffin Island from Greenland. 

About Davis Strait Proto-Microcontinent

• It is a newly discovered submerged microcontinent located around the Davis Strait, a large stretch of water located between Canada’s Baffin Island and Greenland.
• It has been named the Davis Strait proto-microcontinent since it formed owing to the tectonic evolution of the Davis Strait.
  • The strait was formed millions of years ago when the tectonic plates between the two islands shifted, reconfiguring the Earth’s crust.
  • This resulted in the formation of a thick continental crust in the ocean, which has now been declared a newly discovered primitive microcontinent.
• The microcontinent is 19–24 km thick thinned continental crust and is surrounded by two narrow bands of thin (15–17 km) continental crust. 
• This crust separates it from mainland Greenland and Baffin Island.

Key Facts about Davis Strait

• It is a bay of the northern Atlantic Ocean, lying between southeastern Baffin Island (Canada) and southwestern Greenland.
• The strait separates the depths of Baffin Bay (north) from those of the Labrador Sea (south) and forms part of the Northwest Passage, a route through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago linking the Atlantic and Arctic oceans. 
• It is approximately 400 miles (650 km) north to south and 200 to 400 miles wide. 
• It is one of the broadest straits in the world.
• The Davis Strait is home to complex geological formations such as underwater basins and ridges that were created due to the strike-slip faulting along the Ungava Fault Zone around 45 to 62 million years ago. 
• It triggered plate tectonic movements in the Labrador Sea and the Baffin Bay, leading to the formation of the Strait.

Davis Strait Proto-Microcontinent FAQs

Q1. Where is the Davis Strait located?

Ans. The Davis Strait is located between Baffin Island in Canada and Greenland, connecting Baffin Bay to the Labrador Sea.

Q2. Which two oceans are connected by Davis Strait?

Ans. The Davis Strait connects the Arctic Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean

Q3. What geological process led to the formation of the Davis Strait proto-microcontinent?

Ans. Tectonic plate shifting

Source: N18