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Deep below the Zagros Mountains, an ancient oceanic plate is breaking apart, pulling the Earth’s crust down with it. This once was the floor of the Neotethys Ocean, and now it’s gradually disappearing into the mantle, changing the landscape in subtle ways that we often can’t see.

A team of researchers from the University of Göttingen is investigating this phenomenon, uncovering how these hidden forces alter the Earth’s surface over millions of years.

For ages, the Arabian and Eurasian continents have been slowly colliding with each other. The oceanic crust that separated these land masses is being pushed downward into the mantle. Interestingly, rather than sinking straight down, it’s tearing apart horizontally, stretching from southeast Turkey to northwest Iran.

This geological dance doesn’t just happen deep underground; it influences what we see above. As the Zagros Mountains rise, their weight causes the Earth’s surface to bend, creating large depressions that collect sediments.

One notable depression is around 3 to 4 kilometers deep. Researchers suggest that its size isn’t just due to the mountains’ weight. The sinking Neotethys plate is playing a crucial role, dragging the land below.

Lead researcher Dr. Renas Koshnaw notes that this finding was unexpected. The northern Zagros area has moderate elevation, yet it holds more sediment than anticipated, leading to the conclusion that the land is sinking more than just from the mountains’ weight.

The mystery lies in the sinking plate itself, still partially attached to the Arabian plate. It pulls the land downward, allowing more sediment to stack up. However, this downward force varies. In Turkey, where the plate has already detached, the depressions are shallower. This indicates that the force at play is changing over time.

This discovery has significant implications beyond just understanding geology. It helps with:

• Earthquake risk assessment – Mapping the plate’s breakage improves predictions for seismic activity.
• Geothermal energy – The heat and movements in the mantle could provide renewable energy sources.
• Resource exploration – The shifts in Earth’s layers affect how valuable mineral deposits are formed, assisting mining industries.

Koshnaw emphasizes that these findings offer a fresh perspective on Earth’s outer shell dynamics, impacting both nature and human society.

Though we can’t see these movements in a human lifetime, the gradual breakdown of the Neotethys plate reminds us that our planet is in a state of continuous transformation. From the creation of majestic mountains to the formation of deep basins, each landform shows stories of hidden forces beneath our feet. As scientists keep exploring these mysteries, they reveal the secrets of our planet’s inner workings, one tectonic shift at a time.