RAS question
The Himalayas were formed by the collision of which two tectonic plates?
Correct answer: (C) Indian Plate and Eurasian Plate.
The Himalayas were formed by the collision of the Indian Plate and the Eurasian Plate.
Explanation
The Himalayas are the result of a continent-continent convergent boundary between the Indian Plate and the Eurasian Plate. The USGS explains that when India collided with Asia about 50 million years ago, the Indian and Eurasian Plates crumpled along the collision zone. Because continental rocks are relatively light, neither continent was easily subducted; instead, the crust buckled and was pushed upward or sideways. Continued slow convergence over millions of years raised the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau to their present heights. This also explains why the Himalayas are not a volcanic island arc or an oceanic subduction feature, but a mountain system built by continental collision.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) The African Plate and Eurasian Plate are linked with the Mediterranean-Alpine region, not with the collision that formed the Himalayas.
- (B) The Pacific Plate is not part of Himalayan formation; the cited collision was between India and Asia, represented by the Indian and Eurasian Plates.
- (D) The Indian Plate collided with the Eurasian Plate to form the Himalayas, not with the African Plate.
Concept
This tests plate tectonics, especially continent-continent convergence and mountain building. It recurs in RAS because Indian physiography and Himalayan origin are core Geography of India themes.