The Himalayas were formed on a convergent plate boundary. This type of boundary occurs when two tectonic plates collide. In the case of the Himalayas, the Indian Plate and the Eurasian Plate collided around 50 million years ago. The immense pressure and force from this collision caused the Earth’s crust to buckle and fold, leading to the formation of the Himalayan mountain range.
Convergent plate boundaries are characterized by the subduction of one plate beneath another, but in the case of the Himalayas, both plates were of similar density, so neither could easily subduct. Instead, the collision caused the crust to thicken and uplift, creating the towering peaks we see today. This process is known as continental collision.
The Himalayas continue to grow as the Indian Plate is still moving northward at a rate of about 5 centimeters per year, pushing against the Eurasian Plate. This ongoing tectonic activity makes the region seismically active, with frequent earthquakes.