Indian Plate Split: Shaping Tibet & Himalayas

 

The relentless movement of the Indian tectonic plate is not only responsible for the continuous growth of the Himalayas but, intriguingly, it may also be splitting Tibet in two, a discovery made by a team of geophysicists.

Traditionally, it is known that the Himalayas are rising due to the collision of the Indian and Eurasian continental tectonic plates beneath the mountain range, as reported by LiveScience. In a typical tectonic collision, the denser plate tends to slide under the other in a process known as subduction. Yet, in this unique case, both the Indian and Eurasian plates are comparably dense, leaving geoscientists pondering which one will ultimately prevail.

Unlike the denser oceanic plates, continental plates are thick and buoyant, making them less prone to subduction into the mantle during collisions. As per Science magazine, some experts theorize that the Indian plate may be resisting submergence into the mantle, instead sliding horizontally beneath Tibet.

An international team of geophysicists, after analyzing earthquake waves under Tibet, has brought to light a novel theory. They suggest that as the Indian plate slides under the Eurasian plate, it is experiencing "delamination." This process involves the denser lower part of the Indian plate peeling away from its upper section. Moreover, they observed a tear at the junction where this delamination occurs, between the separated section and the intact Eurasian plate.

This groundbreaking finding challenges prior assumptions about continental behavior and has significant implications for the field of earth sciences. Presented at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union, this research not only sheds light on the Himalayas' formation but might also enhance our understanding of earthquake hazards in the region in the future.