Indian Tectonic Plate Splitting in Two Beneath Tibet, New Seismic Data Reveals

The process, known as delamination, could explain the lifting of the Tibetan plateau and the Himalayan mountain range, providing the first empirical evidence of such a phenomenon.

• New seismic data suggests that the Indian tectonic plate is splitting in two beneath Tibet, with the denser base sinking into the mantle while the lighter top continues just beneath the surface.
• This process, known as delamination, could explain the lifting of the Tibetan plateau and the Himalayan mountain range.
• The research, presented at the American Geophysical Union conference, provides the first empirical evidence of such a phenomenon.
• Findings are consistent with geological models based on helium-3 enriched spring water and patterns of earthquakes near the surface.
• The study could inform future methods of earthquake prediction.

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