PASADENA, Calif., April 6 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers say they have a new theory of the geology underlying the Tibetan plateau, long thought to be floating on a hot crust moving like a liquid.

"The idea that Tibet is more or less floating on a layer of partially molten crust is accepted in the research community," Jean-Philippe Avouac, professor of geology at the California Institute of Technology said. "Our research proposes the opposite view: that there is actually a really strong lower crust that originates in India."


The insights could lead to a better understanding of the processes that have shaped the Himalaya Mountains and Tibet, the most tectonically active continental area in the world, a Cal Tech release said Wednesday.

The researchers propose the region's tectonic activity is the result of the Indian crust thrusting strongly underneath the southern portion of the Tibetan Plateau and locking into the upper crust.

Such underground plate collisions are common geological processes that have occurred repeatedly in the course of Earth's history, lifting continents and mountain ranges, but are presently happening in the Tibet area with a vigor and energy little seen elsewhere, Avouac said.