Tectonic Activity Suggests Tibet is Splitting in Two
Geophysicists presented a new study at the American Geophysical Union conference suggesting that the Indian tectonic plate is splitting in two underneath the Tibetan plateau, potentially causing the Himalaya to rise higher while the lower half sinks into the mantle. The study used 3D S-wave receiver-functions to analyze the Indian Plate and found evidence of the top and lower slabs of the Indian Plate appearing to detach, leading to the conclusion that the Indian Plate would peel into two rather than breaking into two. This discovery challenges previous understanding of continental behavior and provides fundamental insights into solid earth science.