There is an entire, submerged and unrecognised continent that has been hiding until now, according to scientists.
New Zealand is sitting on top of the geological entity, most of which sits underneath the South Pacific and so can't be seen.
The researchers explain that Zealandia measures five million sq km which is about two thirds of neighbouring Australia.
The continent - known as Zealandia - is a distinct geological entity and meets all the criteria that are satisfied by the existing seven continents.
It is elevated above the area that surrounds it, has its own distinctive geology, the area that it takes up is well defined.
It also has a crust thicker than the regular ocean floor - just like the seven masses we currently class as continents.
The new continent is 94% under water, according to the new paper.
It is made up of three major landmasses: New Zealand's north and south islands, and New Caledonia to the north.
Scientists said that by classifying it as a continent they would be able to study how they are formed and break up and cohesion of the earth's crust.
Finding data on the continent has been difficult because so much of it is beneath the sea.
Earth's Crust: Know More- The crust of the Earth is composed of a great variety of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks. The crust is underlain by the mantle.
- The upper part of the mantle is composed mostly of peridotite, a rock denser than rocks common in the overlying crust.
- The boundary between the crust and mantle is conventionally placed at the Mohorovicic discontinuity. This is a boundary defined by a contrast in seismic velocity.
- The crust occupies less than 1% of Earth's volume.
