A long-lost oceanic plate from the time of Pangaea is now being torn apart under Iraq and Iran, revealing how the mantle and crust work together to shape Earth’s topography. The Neotethys ocean plate, which formed when Pangaea broke up 195 million years ago, is diving deep into the mantle, dragging down the crust above.
Researchers found that this process has likely already occurred on the west side of the Zagros Mountains in Iraq and Turkey, where the Kurdistan region meets Turkey. The tear is now heading toward northwest Iran. This dynamics isn’t immediately obvious at the surface but provides insights into how the mantle and crust interact to create Earth’s topography.
The oceanic plate was once the seafloor of Neotethys, an ancient ocean that closed up over 20 million years ago. However, its oceanic crust still affects the Zagros mountain region in modern-day Iraq and Iran. The study found a thick layer of sediments on one side of this plane, which cannot be explained by the weight of the mountains alone. Instead, researchers determined that this region is being dragged down by the remains of the Neotethys oceanic plate.
The tearing process has likely already occurred in this area, and it’s now heading toward northwest Iran. This finding can help inform the search for natural resources such as iron, phosphate, and copper, which form in sedimentary rocks. The collision between the Arabian and Eurasian plates also produces large earthquakes.
Source: https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/geology/ocean-plate-from-time-of-pangaea-is-now-being-torn-apart-under-iraq-and-iran