The Himalayas, Earth’s mightiest mountains, have long been the stage for a slow-motion geological collision between the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates. This epic battle has been ongoing for approximately 60 million years, sculpting the iconic peaks that tower over the region. However, the true intrigue lies beneath the surface, where tectonic forces play out in mysterious ways. Unlike their dense oceanic counterparts, continental tectonic plates are thick and buoyant, making them resistant to subduction into the Earth’s mantle during collisions. Scientists have grappled with two main hypo…