Researchers Find Two Giant Tears in Arabian Plate
Scientists identified the tears beneath southeastern Iran, where the plate is slowly splitting as it sinks beneath Asia.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Geology
Researchers led by a team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences identified two giant tears in the Arabian Plate beneath southeastern Iran, with seismic recordings taken between March 2017 and September 2018 and published in Nature Geoscience. The tears are expected to eventually merge.
Why it matters
The findings show how differences in rock density drive plate tearing, helping explain how mountains form when continental rock resists being pushed underground. Hot magma already filling some gaps caused by the ruptures may affect volcanic activity in the region.
Seismic vibrations from distant earthquakes were recorded by 69 monitoring stations between March 2017 and September 2018, showing oceanic lithosphere subducted to at least 450 km in the Makran zone versus no deeper than 300 km for continental lithosphere in the Zagros zone. The exact timing of the eventual merger of the two tears remains unresolved.
The players
Chinese Academy of Sciences
A major national research institution in China that led the study identifying the tears in the Arabian Plate.
The details
The horizontal tear sits where the Zagros collision zone meets the Makran subduction zone, while a smaller vertical tear lies closer to the surface near the Makran Trench. The tears are driven by heavier oceanic basalt being pushed beneath lighter continental rock, and researchers used vibration speed changes tied to rock temperature and density to map the activity.
Timeline
Several million years ago: tearing of the plates began progressing, according to study models.
March 2017 to September 2018: seismic recordings revealing the two tears were taken.
November 7, 2026: study findings were published in Nature Geoscience and reported.
Big Picture
The findings extend plate-tectonic models that attribute mountain building to continental rock resisting subduction, updating earlier understanding of how the Zagros and Makran zones interact. The 69-station seismic network sets a dense monitoring benchmark for mapping subsurface tears in collision zones.
The tears could influence volcanic activity in the region, since hot magma is already filling some gaps caused by the ruptures. Practical effects on daily life are not described in the source material and remain a subject for further study.
The takeaway
Plate-tearing studies show how density differences deep underground can shape mountain ranges and volcanic zones over millions of years. Following research from institutions such as the Chinese Academy of Sciences offers a clear view of how these slow processes are measured.
Further reading
Explore more on Geology to see how plate tearing and subduction shape the planet's surface.
