How are Himalayas formed?-Himalayas formed due to collision of tectonic plates
Formation of Himalaya Mountains
Himalaya Mountains
The birth of Himalayas was supposed to be happened a million years ago. The formation of Himalayas happened in many stages. Based on the studies of scientists, it can be found out that there used to be an ocean Tethys in the Mesozoic era at the place where there are Himalayan Mountains and Ganga Sidhu plains. The north side of the ocean was called the Angara land and the southern side was Gondwana land. These two land masses moved opposite to each other which created lot of pressure on the ocean. This pressure caused by the collision of two land masses led to the folding which later formed into Himalayan Mountains. As evidence limestone that is formed at the bottom of the ocean can be found on the very top of the Himalayas. Scientists estimate that the formation of Himalayan mountains happened six crore years ago. The mountains are spread over 2500 kms in ridges or folds.
Himalayan mountains are still rising though in a very slower pace. The Indian plate is moving north at the rate of 2 cms every year. This is the reason why the mountain is rising at about 5 millimetres per year. The Himalayas are thus active geologically and earthquakes occur frequently in this region.
Himalayan mountains are the youngest mountains on the earth. They are older than Alps but younger than Rocky Mountains. Himalayas separate India from other parts of Asia. They are the natural border between India, China and India and Central Asia. Himalayas in Sanskrit mean the home of the snow. Himalayas are the highest mountain in the world.