Davis Strait Proto-Microcontinent

A previously unknown landmass, the Davis Strait proto-microcontinent, has been discovered beneath the icy waters of the Davis Strait, which separates Canada’s Baffin Island from Greenland.

About the Davis Strait Proto-Microcontinent

• The Davis Strait proto-microcontinent is a newly identified submerged microcontinent situated near the Davis Strait, the large body of water between Baffin Island in Canada and Greenland.
• The landmass has been named the Davis Strait proto-microcontinent due to its origin from the tectonic processes that shaped the strait.
  • The strait was formed millions of years ago when tectonic plates between the two islands shifted, leading to a reconfiguration of the Earth’s crust.
  • This tectonic movement caused the development of a thick continental crust beneath the ocean, which has now been recognized as a primitive microcontinent.
• The microcontinent consists of 19–24 km thick continental crust, bordered by two narrow bands of thinner crust (15–17 km), which separates it from both Greenland and Baffin Island.

Key Facts about the Davis Strait

• The Davis Strait is a bay of the northern Atlantic Ocean, located between southeastern Baffin Island (Canada) and southwestern Greenland.
• The strait connects the depths of Baffin Bay (to the north) and the Labrador Sea (to the south), and is part of the Northwest Passage, a route linking the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.
• The strait spans approximately 400 miles (650 km) in a north-south direction, with widths ranging from 200 to 400 miles, making it one of the broadest straits in the world.
• The Davis Strait is home to complex geological features, including underwater basins and ridges, which were formed by strike-slip faulting along the Ungava Fault Zone around 45 to 62 million years ago. These tectonic movements influenced the formation of the strait and surrounding areas, triggering plate tectonic shifts in the Labrador Sea and Baffin Bay.