A fascinating geological phenomenon occurs under the Middle East

An old ocean plate located under the current Iraq breaks horizontally. This slow geological process has contributed to deeply reshaping the landscapes of the region for millions of years.

The Zagros mountains are gradually sinking

The rapprochement of the Arabic and Eurasian continental plates led to the burial of the neotethysian ocean plate in the entrails of the Terre. When these two masses finally collided, their borders have risen, giving birth to the Zagros mountains. Recently, researchers have retraced the evolution of these reliefs on the scale of the last twenty million years sold.

By examining their topography at the Iranian Kurdistan level, the authors of the new study, published in the journal Solid Earthidentified a depression of 3 to 4 kilometers filled with sediments in the southeast part of the studied area, proving to be much deeper than expected.

According to Renas Koshnaw, from the University of Göttingen, such a geological characteristic results from the sagging of this massive mountain range, powered by the progressive depression of the ocean plate in the earthly coat, thick rocky layer separating the crust of the nucleus.

« As one approaches Turkey, depression becomes much less deep, which suggests a break in the plate at the level of this area “, Underlines the researcher.

Precious lighting

The team plans to continue to study the Zagros mountains, where modern and Neanderthal humans would have crossed for the first time, in order to better understand the influence of the deep geological dynamics of the earth on its surface characteristics.

Some of the most spectacular changes that have occurred recently are observed along the East African rift, extending over thousands of kilometers, from the Red Sea to Mozambique.

According to estimates, if the process continues at the current rate, within 5 to 10 million years, part of East Africa could be separated from the rest of the continent by a new ocean.