The theory of Antipodal Reversal is one of the many conflicting hypotheses regarding the occasional destruction and disappearance of islands and subcontinents, both minor (peras examplaris the abrupt overnight vanishment of the tiny Isle of Pellas) and major (the loss of Lemuria.) Although applied to many such disappearances, it is to the sinking of Atlantis that it is most frequently cited as a possible explanation.
In the case of Atlantis, the theory is most frequently laid forth as follows - As is well-established by reputable accounts of the period, the latter days of the Atlantean empire were characterised by relentless tunneling in their attempt to create ever-greater amounts of necessary space for the rapidly expanding demands of both population and water storage (obviously, the alchemical developments of the Atlanteans required enormous amounts of stored water, both seawater that needed to be purified for the desalination process and the resultant freshwater for their numerous arcane applications requiring it.)
During the course of this tunneling, it is theorized, the Atlanteans disturbed great sheets of the bedrock underlying the lost continent. Now free to move through the weakened surrounding soil, the sheets slid aside, weakening the base upon which Atlantis lay and allowing it to plunge through into the Hollow Earth, falling through to the other side and striking the undercrust with terrific force. This force would send shockwaves from beneath to all corners of the globe, contributing to the landslides, seaquakes, and volcanos that are known to have accompanied the loss of Atlantis. The detritus thrown up from this impact would further combine with the tidal pressure, the constant outward pressure of the Hollow Earth's undercrust, and return of the bedrock sheets to "seal" the hole left by its passing.
The name of this theory is taken from its adherents search for the essential piece of evidence proving it, the "Antipodal Reversal Continent". Their theory states that Atlantis' terrific impact on the undercrust at its antipodal point would have created a great distortion of the crust outwards, forming a new continent at the corresponding point on the surface (the oceans of the East, many miles south of the Orient, if both calculations and current globe measurements are more-or-less accurate.)
Noted Problems with the Theory:
The most telling problem, of course, is that the Antipodean Reversal Continent has yet to be found. The theory's adherents attempt to ameliorate this by pointing out that, firstly, ship travel from the Orient has been sparse since Atlantis' sinking, due to the widespread damage from the resultant typhoons and tidal waves. Secondly, any continent thus formed from such a wholesale shock within the Hollow Earth would perforce contain, due to the porousness of Atlantis itself providing many tunnels to the surface of such a continent, many of the horrifying beasts known to be otherwise exclusive to the Interior, and that therefore even those few intrepid explorers to reach such a continent might well find themselves poisoned by the ubiquitous venom or trapped in one of the beasts' devouring pouches, unable to return to publicize their find.
Support for the Theory:
Not only does it provide an excellent unifying theory regarding the numerous catastrophes occurring around the globe concurrent with Atlantis' loss, its inherent premise of bedrock movement is credible due to the obvious and universal malevolence towards all races of humanity displayed by the mineral kingdom.
Edited by Nekta the Hoary, Caretaker of the Frozen Forests of Ank.
