Indian plate

The Indian plate is a minor tectonic plate that lies near the equator in the Indian Ocean. It was once part of an ancient landmass called Gondwana. About 100 million years ago, the Indian plate broke away from Gondwana and started moving north, taking a piece of land called Insular India with it.

At one time, the Indian plate was joined with the Australian plate and together they were called the Indo-Australian plate. But scientists now think that India and Australia might have been separate for at least 3 million years. Today, the Indian plate makes up most of South Asia, including the Indian subcontinent, and parts of the ocean floor under the Indian Ocean. It also reaches into places like parts of Tibet and Sumatra, but does not include areas such as Ladakh, Kohistan, or most of Balochistan in Pakistan.

Plate movements

Until about 140 million years ago, the Indian plate was part of a huge landmass called Gondwana, along with modern Africa, Australia, Antarctica, and South America. Over time, these lands drifted apart, and the Indian plate moved north.

About 100 million years ago, the Indian plate split from Madagascar and started moving north at a fast pace. It began bumping into Asia around 55 million years ago, which created the tall Himalaya Mountains and the Tibetan Plateau. Today, the Indian plate is still moving northeast, pushing against the Eurasian plate and changing the shape of the land.

Geography

The Indian plate is located in the Indian Ocean. On its west side, it meets the Arabian plate at a place called the Owen fracture zone. On its north side, it meets the Eurasian plate, forming tall mountains like the Himalaya and Hindu Kush.