TransWikia.com

What will happen to the Indian plate after it slides under the Eurasian Plate?

Earth Science Asked by MooseSmart on June 15, 2021

What will happen if the Indian Plate is done sliding under the Eurasian plate? I hypothesied some possible answers. Tell me the answer and if my hypothesis is not correct.

Most likely to least.

It will become part of the Eurasian Plate?
It will slide back out of Siberia?
It will get pushed into the mantle?

I know it is funny to think that the Indian Plate would find its way out of Siberia. I would also want to know what would happen to Mount Everest and the Himalayas.

One Answer

It is a continent-continent collision following subduction, no subduction is taking place at the moment. The ocean floor that was attached to it has vanished into the mantle or got wedged into the thickened crust. The collision builds up immense stress, resulting in deformation, faulting, folding, crustal shortening and uplift of the Tibetan plateau.

https://www.files.ethz.ch/structuralgeology/jpb/files/English/Asiaeng.pdf

Will it become part of the Eurasian Plate?

That's a question of definition of plate boundaries, fault lines, sutures ...

Will it slide back out of Siberia?

Of course not. How could rocks even be preserved in such a process? In the process of shortening the crust is near completely consumed.

Will it get pushed into the mantle?

No. Continental crust doesn't subduct. Both sides have approximately equal density and the mantle is much denser, so they just push and shove each other. Maybe parts get pushed to greater depths (~100km) in the dynamic process and exhumed again. Shortening will continue, uplift, faulting, folding and erosion in equilibrium, and when and where uplift stops erosion will take over.

Afterwards there may probably be something like the Appalachians, an older result of a continent-continent collision and a very thick continental crust. Pop-science link depicting the principle: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/geology/plate-tectonics-collisional-mountain-ranges.htm

Correct answer by user22279 on June 15, 2021

Add your own answers!

Ask a Question

Get help from others!

© 2024 TransWikia.com. All rights reserved. Sites we Love: PCI Database, UKBizDB, Menu Kuliner, Sharing RPP