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Physical Process

Continental Collision

Tectonics and Volcanism

The convergence of two continental plates of similar low density, neither of which can be readily subducted, so that their crust crumples, thickens and is thrust upward instead. The ongoing collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates, which raised the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau, is the process's most dramatic ongoing expression.

Facts
Timescale
Timescale (category)
Years 1
Timescale (category)
Millions of Years 1
Process Type
Tectonic 1
Timescale
India-Asia collision ongoing for about 50 million years 1
Connections

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Source Alps (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. Continental collision, Wikipedia
  • Opening definition
    In geology, continental collision is a phenomenon of plate tectonics that occurs at convergent boundaries.
  • India-Eurasia collision timing
    The collision between India and Asia has been going on for about 50 million years already and shows no signs of abating.
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Alps (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationShaped: The Alpine Region, Lead paragraph
Quote, Shaped: The Alpine Region, Lead paragraph
The mountains were formed over tens of millions of years as the African and Eurasian tectonic plates collided.
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