Figure 10. Cenozoic plate reconstruction between Arabia (fixed) and
India, based on GPlates (version 2.2.0) with a 3D orthographic
projection. Eurasia at the present stage is not depicted.
4.5.1 65 to 32.5 Ma
Left-lateral translation was the main relative motion between the
Arabian and Indian plates between the beginning of the Cenozoic and
~40 Ma. At 65 and 40 Ma, the reference points at the
Indian Plate were set at 3°59ꞌ24ꞌN/61°10ꞌ12ꞌE and 22°29ꞌ30ꞌꞌN/59°49’E,
respectively. Thus, India moved ~2165 km towards the NNE
between 65 and 40 Ma (average velocity of 86.6 mm/a) with respect to
fixed Arabia (Fig. 10).
Between 40 to 32.5 Ma, both plates underwent some divergence with
left-lateral translation (~185 km translation of India
towards the NE; ~24.67 mm/a; between 40 and 32.5 Ma;
Fig. 10). The Indian reference point was set at 23°13ꞌ48ꞌꞌN/68°42ꞌE at
32.5 Ma (Fig. 10). Thus, the relative motion between Arabia and India
did not cause any shortening in Oman from 65 to 32.5 Ma.
4.5.2 32.5 Ma to present
Between ~32.5 and 20 Ma, both plates experienced
~100 to 135 km ~E/W-directed convergence
owing to a minor ~northward motion and coeval
anticlockwise rotation of India (8°; ~0.64°/Ma) with
respect to Arabia (~228 km of rotation and translation
of India to the NW; ~18.2 mm/a; between 32.5 and 20 Ma;
Fig. 11). The Indian reference point was set at 24°54ꞌN/67°21ꞌE at 20 Ma
(Fig. 11).