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India's Shrinking Land: A Tectonic Dispute
India's land loss due to the movement of tectonic plates toward China, creating geopolitical tensions.
English
Germany
ChinaGeopoliticsIndo PacificGeologyBorder ConflictEarthquakesTectonic Shift
NdtvGerman Research Center For Geosciences (Gfz)National Geophysical Research InstituteFreie Universität BerlinKonrad Adenauer Stiftung
Pallava BaglaSabrina Metzger
- What are plate tectonics?
- Plate tectonics is the theory that Earth's outer shell is divided into several plates that glide over the mantle, the rocky inner layer above the core. These plates meet at boundaries, where they interact by moving towards or away from each other, or sliding alongside each other.
- Will India eventually disappear?
- The Indian plate's movement towards the Eurasian plate is causing India to lose land, as it pushes underneath the Eurasian plate. However, the rate of movement is slowing, and complete disappearance is not imminent.
- What is unique about the Indian plate?
- The Indian plate is unique due to its exceptionally fast movement, historically around 30 centimeters per year, as it collided with the Eurasian plate. This rapid movement created the Himalayas and continues to cause earthquakes and land loss for India.
- What other threat of land loss does India face?
- While India's collision with the Eurasian plate will eventually stop, rising sea levels present a more immediate threat of land loss for India in the future.
- What sources support the information presented?
- Several sources including research published in Nature and reports from the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung confirm the movement of the tectonic plates and its implications for the India-China border dispute.