Britannica Sources used in this answer

Why does the Indus River pass through deep gorges near Nanga Parbat?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Physical map showing the Indus River basin and its drainage network across parts of Pakistan, India, China, and Afghanistan. The map details river courses, tributaries, canals, dams, irrigated and marsh areas, sand regions, and elevation changes with shaded relief. International, disputed, and control boundaries are marked, and a small locator map in the corner shows the basin's position within South Asia. — Indus River The Indus River basin and its drainage network.

The Indus River passes through deep gorges near the Nanga Parbat massif because the river is older than the mountains it traverses.1

The Himalayas were uplifted so slowly that the Indus was able to maintain its original course by cutting through the rising terrain. As the mountains rose, the river's momentum increased, allowing it to carve its valley more rapidly and keep pace with the elevation of the range. This simultaneous process of mountain uplift and valley deepening resulted in the formation of deep transverse gorges, which, in the vicinity of Nanga Parbat, reach depths of 15,000 to 17,000 feet (4,600 to 5,200 meters).12