A recent study suggests that beneath the Himalayan range may lie the potential for the high Tibetan Plateau to split.
Presenting at the American Geophysical Union conference, a team of authors from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the National Marine Environmental Forecasting Center of China, and Stanford University (USA) warns that the Indian tectonic plate may potentially rupture into two as it slides beneath the Eurasian plate, tearing through the Tibetan Plateau.
For a long time, the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates have been colliding. In this process, the Indian plate is sliding beneath the Eurasian plate, causing the latter to rise.
This is a normal process in Earth’s tectonic plate activity, where its “crustal pieces,” carrying continents and oceans on top, constantly move and alter the landscape, giving rise to geological phenomena such as volcanoes and earthquakes.
With the collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates, the Himalayan range was formed, becoming increasingly majestic over millions of years.
Recent research reveals the complexity of this collision.
Most of the Indian plate is simply sliding beneath the Eurasian plate rather than subducting into the mantle. However, a deeper portion is undergoing subduction, being pulled deep into the mantle.
This causes the plate to progressively buckle, as one half attempts to cling to Tibet while the other is forcefully pulled downward.
This process may eventually lead to the splitting of this block, where the upper half could rupture or detach, ultimately resulting in the disruption of the Tibetan Plateau by tearing it apart.
To gain a comprehensive understanding, scientists have investigated seismic waves recorded in the Tibetan region and discovered that the bottom of the Indian plate is as deep as 200 km, whereas in other areas, it is only around 100 km deep.
This implies that certain portions of the Indian plate have already detached, and the process of tearing apart Tibet is silently progressing beneath the Earth’s surface.
However, there is no need for excessive concern, as tectonic processes are lengthy. To witness significant continental movement, one must observe it over tens or hundreds of millions of years.
