Study Says North America, Eurasia May Still Connect
A University of Derby geologist's team reports several locations along an underwater mountain range where the two tectonic plates remain linked.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Geology
Dr Jordan Phethean, a geologist associated with the University of Derby, claims North America and Eurasia may still form a single continent. His team examined a 2,000-kilometre underwater mountain range beneath the Atlantic Ocean and identified several locations where the two plates remain connected.
Why it matters
The finding challenges the widely accepted view that the North American and Eurasian plates separated around 55 million years ago. If confirmed, it would refine understanding of how continental plates break apart and reconnect along mid-ocean ridges.
The examined range spans about 2,000 kilometres between Greenland, Iceland and Scotland, against a separation estimate of roughly 55 million years ago. The published details do not explain the mechanism of the remaining connection or independent confirmation of the sites.
The players
Dr Jordan Phethean
A geologist associated with the University of Derby who led the team examining the underwater mountain range.
University of Derby
A UK university whose geologist led the research claiming the continents may still be connected.
The details
The team studied a mountain range extending from Greenland through Iceland to Scotland and found several spots where the North American and Eurasian plates remain connected. The two continents were once part of the supercontinent Pangaea roughly 200 to 250 million years ago.
Timeline
Around 200 to 250 million years ago: North America and Eurasia formed part of Pangaea.
Around 55 million years ago: the two plates separated, according to the widely accepted theory.
4 November 2026: the research claim was published.
The Big Picture
The claim tests the accepted model of how Pangaea broke apart roughly 55 million years ago, a model that rests on the separation of plates along mid-ocean ridges. If the connected sites are confirmed, they would force a revision of how the North Atlantic opened.
Confirmation of the connected sites would change textbook accounts of how the Atlantic formed, though it would not alter any current practical activity. Readers interested in plate movement can follow peer review and follow-up surveys of the underwater range.
The takeaway
Scientific models of continental drift can be revised as new field evidence emerges, so single claims are best weighed against independent confirmation. Watch for peer-reviewed follow-up before treating the finding as settled.
Further reading
Explore more in our Geology coverage for background on plate tectonics.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Dunyanews.
