Possibile explanation for a [somewhat] realistic floating continent scenario?

I'm writing a story that takes place in a world where people live on continent-sized chunks of earth (basically the size of tectonic plates) suspended in the air, left over from some cataclysmic event.

Before this event, it was a thriving planet with a technology level slightly superior to our own (with highly advanced nanotechnology and other magnetic-based technology)

I've done a lot of research on google in order to find some possible solutions for what hold up the islands, and the one that sticks out to me the most is superconductivity (AKA quantum locking).

I do want the explanation to be more natural-physical, involving technology as little as possible.

There are two important factors to this scenario:

1. It needs to be feasible;
2. Life still needs to be possible.

As far as the feasibility goes, I've also considered possibilities such as having a certain material in the mantle or aesthenosphere, or possibly a high iron content in the crust before the continents are lifted into the air (although I think the latter could affect life on the planet and probably wouldn't work very well).

I've also thought of using diamagnetism instead of having iron-content. But it'd somehow have to be scaled up a TON, and that's not super intuitive.

TL;DR: How could I have a feasible floating continent scenario through natural-ish means?

-If I remember other things I've researched or if I have/remember any other ideas, I will probably edit the OP.

posted over 5 years ago

Dave Murdock‭

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