The Discovery of ‘Zealandia’

New Book Follows Santa Barbara Scientist in Perilous Journey to Antarctica

The Discovery of ‘Zealandia’

New Book Follows Santa Barbara Scientist
in Perilous Journey to Antarctica

By Tyler Hayden | July 13, 2023

Unloading the Hercules at Depot Camp, a four-hour plane ride from McMurdo Station | Credit: Courtesy

With his new book, Bruce Luyendyk has created a whole new genre — the geothriller.

Mighty Bad Land follows the longtime UC Santa Barbara researcher on his 1989 expedition to Antarctica, a gritty journey that resulted in the near-death of a companion and the discovery of a hidden eighth continent. Luyendyk coined the vast submarine plateau “Zealandia,” which broke away from Antarctica many millennia ago, the tips of its tallest mountains now comprising the country of New Zealand.

Among the book’s science and adventure are honest reflections by Luyendyk about his ambitions as an explorer and his insecurities as a leader. He doesn’t shy away from the personal challenges that crept into the team’s professional relationships — living six weeks in an eight-foot-by-eight-foot tent will do that — and he lays bare his own demons, starting with the death of his father and concluding with a visit to a therapist.

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