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How did the collision of the Indian subcontinent with Asia create the Himalayas?

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A map of the continent of Asia, including its countries, boundaries, and capital cities, as well as parts of Europe, Africa, and surrounding oceans. — Asia Map showing the countries and national capitals of Asia.

The formation of the Himalayas is the result of a massive continental collision between the Indian subcontinent and Asia that began approximately 40 to 50 million years ago.12

Prior to this event, the Tethys Sea separated the two landmasses. As the Indian Plate moved northward, the oceanic crust of the Tethys Sea was subducted beneath the southern margin of Asia. Once the Tethys Sea was consumed, the buoyant continental crust of India collided with Asia. Because neither continent could be easily subducted, the crust underwent intense deformation, thickening, and folding.13452

As India continued to penetrate some 2,000 kilometers into the Asian continent, the leading edge of the Indian plate was scraped off and thrust upward, creating the massive mountain range we see today. This ongoing collision continues to drive the rapid uplift of the Himalayas and the Plateau of Tibet, as India maintains its northward movement at a rate of about 2.4 inches (6 cm) per year.142