au ▁ ▁The ▁Indian ▁C rat on ▁has ▁behav ed ▁like ▁a ▁near ▁r idge ▁block , ▁moving ▁North , ▁and ▁compact ing ▁the ▁we aker , ▁mostly ▁sed iment ary , ▁rock ▁into ▁the ▁H imal aya . ▁Rel ative ▁to ▁a ▁fixed ▁E uras ian ▁plate ▁the ▁central ▁H imal aya ▁and ▁Tib et an ▁Pl ate au ▁are ▁moving ▁North , ▁( be ing ▁pushed ▁by ▁India ). ▁The ▁eastern ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁mountain ous ▁region ▁is ▁moving ▁East ▁away ▁from ▁the ▁India . ▁The ▁Tib et an ▁Pl ate au ▁is ▁un stable ▁and ▁as ▁its ▁sides ▁move ▁away ▁extension ▁is ▁occurr ing ▁in ▁its ▁center . ▁This ▁East - West ▁extension ▁is ▁accommod ated ▁on ▁North - S outh ▁tr ending ▁normal ▁fault s . ▁ ▁The ▁T ian ▁Sh an ▁are ▁a ▁mountain ▁range ▁North ▁of ▁the ▁Tib et an ▁Pl ate au ▁and ▁the ▁Tak lam ak an ▁Des ert . ▁U pl ift ▁of ▁these ▁mountains ▁began ▁ 2 4 ▁million ▁years ▁ago . ▁It ▁was ▁a ▁direct ▁response ▁to ▁the ▁continued ▁extension ▁of ▁the ▁Indian ▁collision ▁zone . ▁The ▁mountain ▁range ▁is ▁still ▁u pl ifting ▁today ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁H imal aya . ▁ ▁Kar st ▁formation ▁ ▁One ▁sevent h ▁of ▁the ▁area ▁of ▁China ▁is ▁covered ▁in ▁carbon ate ▁rocks ▁( lim estone ▁and ▁mar ble ) ▁which ▁are ▁easily ▁chem ically ▁er oded ▁by ▁water , ▁forming ▁a ▁kar st ▁landscape . ▁This ▁morph ology ▁is ▁not ▁well ▁developed ▁across