FEBRUARY 25, 2025
New Delhi: Australia may look like a stable landmass, but it’s gradually inching northward toward Asia at an unexpected pace. In a concerning revelation, scientists have reported that the continent is shifting at a rate of 2.8 inches (7 cm) per year comparable to the speed at which human fingernails grow. While this may seem minor, over millions of years, it will lead to a significant geological transformation, altering the region’s landscape, climate, and biodiversity.
Professor Zheng-Xiang Li of Curtin University, who have studied this phenomenon, stated in 2009, “Whether we like it or not, the Australian continent is going to collide with Asia.” He explains that the movement is part of a cyclical pattern, where continents drift apart and then eventually come back together a process that has occurred multiple times in Earth’s history.
Here are some of the key details:
- This movement is part of a vast geological process plate tectonics that has been shaping Earth’s continents for hundreds of millions of years.
- Around 80 million years ago, Australia separated from Antarctica, and for the last 50 million years, it has been steadily drifting northward.
- Scientists predict that the Indo-Australian Plate, which carries Australia, will eventually collide with Asia, setting off significant geological and environmental transformations.
- A future collision between Australia and Asia won’t just impact geology it will dramatically change biodiversity.
- Australia is home to some of the world’s most unique animals, including kangaroos, wombats, and the elusive platypus. But what happens when the continent merges with Asia, home to an entirely different set of species?
Australia’s northward drift isn’t just a concern for the distant future it’s already creating challenges today. In 2016, scientists found that the continent’s movement had shifted its entire GPS coordinate system by 1.5 meters (4.9 feet). To maintain accuracy, Australia had to update its official coordinates by 1.8 meters (5.9 feet).
As the continent continues its shift, navigation systems, infrastructure, and satellite mapping technologies will require ongoing adjustments to avoid errors. This could have major consequences for autonomous vehicles, precision agriculture, and aviation, where even slight inaccuracies can cause significant disruptions.
Courtesy/Source: India.com / PTI
