Tectonic Collision In the Himalayas Could Be Ripping Tibet in Two
The Himalayas are the tallest mountain range in the world, all caused by the collision of tectonic plates driving into one another. Now researchers say that very collision which began millions of years ago is not only forcing mountains high into the sky, but it may also split Tibet apart.
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00:00 [Music]
00:03 The Himalayas are the tallest mountain range in the world,
00:06 all caused by the collision of tectonic plates driving into one another.
00:10 Now researchers say that very collision which began millions of years ago
00:13 is not only forcing mountains high into the sky, but it may also split Tibet in two.
00:18 India used to be an island in the ocean,
00:20 but the Indian tectonic plate eventually crashed into the Eurasian plate some 60 million years ago.
00:26 However, that collision is still happening, moving just a little bit every year,
00:30 and researchers have long wondered if it was sliding beneath the continent
00:33 or diving deep into the Earth's mantle.
00:35 Now a new study suggests that both could be happening concurrently,
00:39 effectively cutting Tibet down the middle.
00:41 The researchers say this likely won't cause the country to physically split in two,
00:45 but it could cause a slab tear.
00:47 This could divide the Himalayas and lead to many more earthquakes in the affected areas.
00:51 With geodynamics researcher Dawevan Hinsbergen saying about the recent findings,
00:56 quote, "We didn't know continents could behave this way."
00:58 And that is, for solid Earth science, pretty fundamental.
01:01 Van Hinsbergen adds this is the first time this type of geological tectonic tearing
01:05 has been witnessed in real time.