We are now one step closer to predicting Tibet’s devastating quakes

Scientists in the United States led by a Chinese geologist have made a discovery that could help explain why the Tibetan plateau is a centre for seismic activity and assist in predicting future tremors.

According to Song Xiaodong, who headed the study at the University of Illinois, the upper mantle layer of the Indian tectonic plate was torn into four pieces when it collided with the Eurasian Plate tens of millions of years ago.

“The collision between the Indian and Asian tectonic plates produced some of the deadliest earthquakes in the world,” said Song in the study published on Tuesday in the American edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Song is also a researcher at Wuhan University in central China.

“However, the vast plateau is largely inaccessible to geological studies due to poor transport and bad weather,” he said.

The discovery would help geologists to understand what role the Indian upper mantle played in shaping the ever-growing Tibetan plateau and help them to better assess future earthquake risks, Song said.