Photo Essay: On an Island, a Lost Part of the World Is Found

On the volcanic Indian Ocean island of Anjouan, scientists are investigating a rock that apparently formed on a far-off continent.

By
Kevin Krajick
February 12, 2019

On the volcanic Indian Ocean island of Anjouan, scientists are investigating a formation of quartzite, a rock apparently formed on a far-off continent. Its presence here defies conventional scientific theory. The island is part of the Comoros, a small, poor nation archipelago whose agricultural economy springs directly from its geologic history. (All photos: Kevin Krajick/Earth Institute)   CLICK TO READ THE FULL SCIENTIFIC STORY

a" data-cycle-paused="true" data-cycle-prev="#gslideshow_prev" data-cycle-next="#gslideshow_next" data-cycle-pager="#gslideshow_pager" data-cycle-pager-template=" " data-cycle-speed="750" data-cycle-caption="#gslideshow_captions" data-cycle-caption-template="{{cycleCaption}}" > <►>On a high ridge, a just-discovered outcrop of quartzite. An ancient rock, it could not have formed on this geologically young volcanic island; likely it started out within a riverbed or beach on a continent. Most of the formation may lie hidden below the surface. The researchers’ goal: map its extent and try to figure out how it got here.