Everyone probably grew up learning that there are seven continents on the planet, but just last week, a new, eighth continent was discovered hiding underneath Southern Europe!

Greater Adria sank beneath the ocean 120 million years ago after breaking away from Africa.

According to CNN, 200 million years ago, during the Triassic period, there existed a super-continent called Gondwanaland that homed rocks as old as 3.6 billion years. The supercontinent split up into what we now know as Africa, Australia, India, Antarctica, and South America.

Hidden underneath Southern Europe, the remnants of Greater Adria have formed the mighty Alps over time, quite a popular tourist destination. The continent was already half submerged to start, but as it approached Earth’s mantle, the top layer got peeled away, hiding all evidence of its existence.

The research determined that the continent eventually splintered off into the Iberian Peninsula, soon being forced under what is now Southern Europe.

MoneyControl states that the deepest parts of Greater Adria are now hidden some 1,500 kilometers underneath Greece.

Since this “new” continent broke off from the once magnificent Pangea, it opens up a new realm of possibilities for exploration and research.

Moreover, this research might aid the search for valuable mineral deposits, helping countries and companies looking to mine.

IMAGE COURTESY OF SCIENCE ALERT