The Himalayas

I am now in India, to visit the Himalayan Mountains! I was sad to leave New Zealand, but where I am now is truly incredible. I am at Nanda Devi, the second highest mountain in India! I am positioned at about 30°22′33″N 79°58′15″E, according to the map in my research book. This thing has been really useful on this trip! The tectonic boundary that formed the Himalayan range is a continental collision, which means the plates pushed so hard against each other that they both pushed up and formed mountains. This causes earthquakes, and the Himalayas continue to grow every year. The last major earthquake occurred in September 2011. There are no volcanoes in this area because you need magma to come up in order to form a volcano, which happens when two plates are moving apart, or one plate is moving under another. I can’t resist taking some photos! I’m captivated by the line of the jagged peaks, and I can’t wait to explore the valleys, glaciers, and rivers that surround me.


Picture 1: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanda_Devi

Picture 2: http://www.divediscover.whoi.edu/tectonics/tectonics-collide.html