Fig. 4: Schematics showing the India-Eurasia collision process.
From: Paleogene India-Eurasia collision constrained by observed plate rotation
a The initial collision might have occurred along the (1) western front, (2) central front, or (3) western-central front (coevally) at ca. 55 ± 5 Ma. The first peak of the Indian rotation rate that occurred at ca. 52-44 Ma corresponds to the diachronous collision from west to east. SG Songpan-Ganzi terrane, SC South China block, QT Qiangtang terrane, IC Indochina block, SB Sibumasu block, KL Kohistan-Ladakh arc, LT Lhasa terrane, SCS South China Sea, CFZ Chain Fracture Zone, CR Carlsberg Ridge, WR Wharton Ridge, S Saga area, Z Zanskar area, G&T Gamba and Tingri areas, U Possible distal area with undiscovered deep-water strata in the western Himalaya2. b The complete collision along the eastern front might have occurred at ca. 40 ± 5 Ma. The second peak of the Indian rotation rate that occurred at ca. 33-20 Ma was coeval with the significant extrusion of southeastern Tibet and seafloor spreading of the South China Sea, both reflecting strong coupling between the two plates. WB West Burma block, ASZ Ailaoshan shear zone, CSZ Chongshan shear zone, GSZ Gaoligong shear zone, OFZ Owen Fracture Zone. The positions of terrains are referenced from refs. 2,15,19,44,58,70.
