MIT geophysicist Leigh “Wiki” Royden combines geophysics and geology to study subduction zones to understand how they create mountain belts. She first studied geophysics after a sports injury led her to the subject.
Rock magnetism uncrumples the Himalayas’ complex collision zone
January 8, 2021MIT
MIT EAPS researchers find the impressive mountain range formed over a series of impacts, not a single event, as previously thought.
With some of the world’s tallest peaks, Asia’s “the abode of snow” region is a magnet for thrill seekers, worshipers, and scientists alike. The imposing 1,400-mile Himalayan mountain range that separates the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau is the scene of an epic continent-continent collision that took place millions of years ago and changed the Earth, affecting its climate and weather patterns. The question of how the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates collided, and the mountains came into existence, is one that scientists are still unfolding. Now, new research published in
Credits: Photo courtesy of Craig Martin. Caption: Craig Martin extracts core samples. Credits: Photo courtesy of Craig Martin. Caption: Himalaya rock core samples features markings showing their orientation in the parent rock. Credits: Photo courtesy of Craig Martin.
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With some of the world’s tallest peaks, Asia’s “the abode of snow” region is a magnet for thrill seekers, worshipers, and scientists alike. The imposing 1,400-mile Himalayan mountain range that separates the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau is the scene of an epic continent-continent collision that took place millions of years ago and changed the Earth, affecting its climate and weather patterns. The question of how the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates collided, and the mounta