The Mighty Himalayas
Discovering the Hidden Facts about the Great Himalayan Mountains
The Himalayan Mountain
Range: Description: Luciano’s painting is what we can call a geological marvel
In
this blog, I am planning to write on geological aspects of Himalayas; the
layout, fact, analysis, and the details that have created the Himalayas that we
see today. Starting from the marine stratum of Mesozoic origin to the existing
forces of the earth movements shaping these mountains, it can be viewed that
Himalayan story is one of profound transformation and survival.
The Himalayan Origin: From the great deep and sea, To the mountain high and free
Many
people will be surprised, but the Himalayas were not always so high as are now
While still growing, the older ranges of the world are recognized by geologists
as being now in process of degradation. Thus, the highest point in the world’s
number one mountain system, the Himalay; Mount Everest was once at the bed of
the ocean.
The
story of the Himalayas has been traced as far back as 200 million years ago
when the Indian plate was still mobile and was moving northwards. In the course
of the earth’s history, the Indian plate moved northwards and eventually
underthrust the Eurasian plate, which is referred to as the Himalayan orogeny.
The collision which happened over a period of about 50 million years pushed the
oceanic crust up and formed the Himalayan range.
The
first tectonic contact was continent-ocean, that is, among the colliding plates
there were parts of both an ocean and a continent; the oceanic plates were the
first to be collapsed and uplifted. After the collision progressed further, it
became a continent-continent collision and resulted into thrust faults and
further emersion of the mountains.
Even
today, in the Himalayas, there is evidence or existence of marine shelf and
much even marine fossils at the heights of lofty summits. Thus, such an
extraordinary geological history illustrates that geology indeed refracts the
complex and constantly evolving processes of our Earth.
The Himalayan Range: A World That is so Vast & Vastly Different
The
Himalayas are not a range but a huge and varied structure operating throughout
various countries that people should not confuse with other ranges. It consists
of a number of ranges of mountains which are in parallel to one another and
which are quite different in size geology and structure.
Stretching
for about 2,400 km across the south Asian region, the Himalyan range runs from
the Indus River in the west to the Brahmaputra River in the east. Across this
expanse of earth, it has some of the tallest mountain elevations of the world;
Mount Everest for example is 8,848 meters above the sea level.
Besides
mountain heights the range has much more for example different climates starting
from the sal-forested hills of northern India and Pakistan to the cold and
unfertile snow-capped mountains. This diversity is due to the fact that the
climate of the range as well as its altitude changes even within small
distances sometimes.
The Himalayan Tectonic Activity: Contemporary Evolution
In
fact, the Himalayas are not this kind of static environment or remains
untouched in this way during the world. However, they are the result of
constant tectonic movements where the Indian plate is still moving northward
and slides under the Eurasian plate.
This
collision is behind slow shedding of the Brahmaputra sediment which has been
shaping the uplift of the Himalayan range over thousands of years with the
mountains moving upwards at a rate of one centimeter annually. This process
continuation has caused the formation of numerous thrust faults and other kinds
of geologic structures that can be seen throughout the range.
It
is the tectonic movement that not merely provided for the strenghth of the Himalayas
but also for the regular earth quakes that take place in the region. The
Himalayan region is typically prone to earthquakes and even ranks as one of the
most dangerous occasions of the world’s most lethal and strongest earthquakes.
However,
despite these challenges posed by this tectonic activity, the himalayas remain
to be a beautiful wonder of nature intriguing the world’s population.
Contemporary changes in this mountain structure, make one realize the ever
dynamic nature of the earth and how important forces of the earth have shaped
the actual world we live in.
Exploring the Himalayan Wonders
The
Himalayas are not only the highest mountain ranges of the world but also the
centuries-old active cultural and symbols of dynamism of ecological systems.
Trekking through the beautiful landscapes of the rick Buddhist monasteries to
exploring the forests and alpine meadows; Himalayas have it all to offer.
For
those who are fascinated by such feelings that these mountains can give those
who are eager to conquer them, the Himalayas offer such a possibility and the
opportunity to defy human physiology. Climbing adventures to some of the
tallest mountains in the world including the Mount Everest is one of the oldest
adventure fantasies that lovers of adventure have always dreamt of, and each
time someone conquers the mountain, it is always a conquer of the human spirit.
Nevertheless,
people and civilizations other than mountain climbers are also part of the
Himalayas, and they are as impressive and extraordinary as the mountains
themselves. From the cattle breeders of the alpine meadow to the black smiths
who follow the profession inherited from the ancestors, people of the Himalayas
extend a handshake with the nature.
These
are just some of the mysteries and marvels of the Himalayas that have been
discovered so far; we will find more as we keep on researching them and
wandering in the world of mountains. Whether one is a geologist, a climber or
just someone with awe in facing the Himalayan facade, it provides a discovery
for the explorer.
Conclusion: The names of the Buddhist countries may change, but the mountains remain the same: the Allure of the Himalayas.
In
terms of the strength and over-archingly the ever-evolving nature of the earth,
there could be no better example than the Himalayas, as evidences the wonderful
world we live in. These mountains, created in Pre-Cambrian times at the bottoms
of seas and oceans and changing even today, attract and influence people all
over the globe.
As
we move progressively into the mysteries of the Himalayas, more other wonders
of this beautiful region would be revealed. It is the amazing physical
geography of the great peaks, the historical and ethnological aspects of the
population, and much more, or even the breathtaking, piping spiritual geography
that each part of the Himalayas holds the prospect of discovery and growth.
Consequently,
let the world, researchers, and myself keep on admiring the beautiful outlook
of the Himalayas, deep and versatile geological background necessary for
further researches. Such is the case for this action as they not only expand
knowledge regarding Earth but also find a link with the soul of these
everlasting mountain ranges.
Reference
1. Zurick, David; Pocheco, Julsun (2006), Illustrated Atlas of the Himalaya, University Press of Kentucky, p. 8,11,12, ISBN 9780813173849
2. "Himalayan". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. Retrieved 5 August 2021. Etymology: < Himālaya (Sanskrit < hima snow + ālaya dwelling, abode) + -an suffix) (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
3. Bishop, Barry. "Himalayas (mountains, Asia)". Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
4. A.P. Dimri; B. Bookhagen; M. Stoffel; T. Yasunari (8 November 2019). Himalayan Weather and Climate and their Impact on the Environment. Springer Nature. p. 380. ISBN 978-3-030-29684-1.
5. Wadia, D. N. (1931). "The syntaxis of the northwest Himalaya: its rocks, tectonics and orogeny". Record Geol. Survey of India. 65 (2): 189–220.
6. Apollo, M. (2017). "Chapter 9: The population of Himalayan regions – by the numbers: Past, present and future". In Efe, R.; Öztürk, M. (eds.). Contemporary Studies in Environment and Tourism. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. pp. 143–159.
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