Geologists have uncovered a long-lost continental fragment buried beneath the thick ice of Greenland, a discovery that offers new insight into the ancient forces that shaped Earth’s surface. This previously unrecognized microcontinent, formed tens of millions of years ago, is believed to be part of a complex tectonic rift system between Greenland and Canada.
The finding not only redefines the geological map of the North Atlantic, but also deepens our understanding of plate tectonic reorganization, continental separation, and how fragments of ancient crust become stranded during the birth of new oceans.
Rifting Forces Between Greenland and Canada
The region separating Canada and Greenland has long drawn attention due to its geological complexity. This is where the Labrador Sea and Baffin Bay connect via the Davis Strait, a region formed by tectonic activity during the Paleogene period, between roughly 61 and 33 million years ago. During this time, Earth’s crust began to break apart, initiating a period of rifting and seafloor spreading.
Researchers now believe that an unusually thick portion of continental crust, between 19 and 24 kilometers deep, was not fully separated during this rifting phase. Instead, it became stranded beneath the ocean floor.
This continental block is now known as the Davis Strait proto-microcontinent, a term used to describe a slab of continental lithosphere that’s no longer fully connected to a major landmass but not fully detached either.
The Proto-Microcontinent Beneath the Ice
New data from gravity maps and seismic imaging helped scientists identify the structure and orientation of faults in the region. These patterns pointed to a dramatic change in the direction of seafloor spreading that occurred around 49 to 58 million years ago. This reorientation—from a northeast-southwest axis to a more north-south alignment—played a key role in cleaving off the Davis Strait microcontinent.
By the time ocean spreading in the region ceased around 33 million years ago, Greenland had collided with Ellesmere Island, becoming part of the North American plate. This marked the end of significant tectonic motion in the area, locking the proto-microcontinent in place beneath the ocean and the edge of Greenland’s western coast.
Advanced Modeling Reveals a Buried Past
According to Dr. Jordan Phethean and doctoral researcher Luke Longley from the University of Derby, along with Dr. Christian Schiffer of Uppsala University, the area’s relatively isolated tectonic history made it an ideal location to study how microcontinents form.
In their study, published in Gondwana Research, they explain that these proto-microcontinents are “regions of relatively thick continental lithosphere separated from major continents by a zone of thinner continental lithosphere.” They emphasize that such structures are not just geological curiosities — they hold the key to understanding how Earth’s crust breaks and reforms through time.
Dr. Phethean notes that rifting and microcontinent formation are “absolutely ongoing phenomena,” adding that “with every earthquake we might be working towards the next microcontinent separation.” Their goal is to decode these tectonic processes well enough to forecast the future evolution of Earth’s surface.
Connecting to Global Geological Puzzles
The Davis Strait discovery also fits into a larger pattern of similar geological findings. Other submerged microcontinents — such as Jan Mayen near Iceland, the East Tasman Rise southeast of Tasmania, and the Gulden Draak Knoll off western Australia — may have formed in similar ways, through shifts in tectonic stress and partial rifting.
As scientists apply this model to other regions, the discovery beneath Greenland becomes more than a local anomaly. It provides a template for understanding continental calving and the dynamic processes still shaping our planet today.
Researchers believe that these ancient remnants also have implications for the exploration of natural resources and understanding the hazards posed by ongoing tectonic activity.