Tectonic Collision May Be Splitting Tibet, Causing Himalayas to Grow

New research suggests the Indian plate is peeling apart, potentially driving hazardous earthquakes and fundamentally changing our understanding of plate tectonics.

• The Indian tectonic plate might be splitting beneath Tibet, leading to the delamination of its upper half.
• The collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates is causing the Himalayas to grow and possibly splitting Tibet.
• The Indian plate is peeling apart, with its buoyant upper crust detaching from its dense bottom layer, creating a vertical split in the plate beneath Tibet.
• The 'slab tear' under Tibet could potentially drive hazardous earthquakes in the region.
• The findings could fundamentally change what we know about plate tectonics and their collisions.

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