Slide 7 of 20 FirstPreviousNextLastIndexHomeText
The formation of Tibet follows the collision between India and Eurasia.  The collision started 50 Ma ago and is still ongoing.  The indian continental lithosphere is moving underneath Tibet at a speed of a few cm per year. The doubling of the thickness of the continental crust results in the decrease of the average density of the continental lithosphere and isostasy explains the high topography in that part of the world.