Tag: tectonics

How the ‘Yellowstone Plume’ saves US states

Oregon and Washington states should be much more dangerous places to live. Located above a zone where the Pacific oceanic crust is sliding underneath the North American continent, the states should experience regular devastating earthquakes. That they don’t, it seems, is down to the lubricating effect of the Yellowstone plume. Image: DirectDish

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Himalayas created during a high-speed impact

It brings a new meaning to the land speed record. After the break-up of the Gondwanan supercontinent 140 million years ago, India sped north at 20 centimetres per year – about five times as fast as any other landmass in the recent geological past. The speed of its collision with Asia propelled the Himalayas to the top of the world. Image: James C Farmer

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