Lost continent discovered

Geoscientists have identified a largely submerged landmass called Zealandia, or Te Riu-a-Māui, that meets the criteria many researchers use for a continent. Covering about 1.89 million square miles (roughly 4.9 million square kilometres), Zealandia is mostly underwater — about 90–95 percent — and includes the visible islands of New Zealand and New Caledonia. Debate about its status grew over decades and many geologists accepted it as a continent in analyses published in recent years.

According to researchers, Zealandia was once part of the ancient supercontinent Gondwana and separated through long episodes of rifting and drifting tens of millions of years ago. Scientists base the claim on features such as continental crust thickness, rock types distinct from oceanic crust, seismic mapping and drill samples. Recognising Zealandia gives geologists a clearer picture of plate tectonics, regional geology and the geological history of the southwest Pacific.

Who did it? And what's their angle?

Every conspiracy theory pins one culprit and one motive on the same story. The same story can spawn any number of theories — different culprits, different motives. That's part of how you spot a conspiracy theory: the same event can be "explained" any number of ways.

You'll walk through the four moves on separate screens, with a debunk on every step.