Successful scientific theories provide theoretical understanding for reliable deterministic or probabilistic forecasting of events. In the past decades the volume of data obtained within the fields of structural geology and tectonics has increased enormously, but the theoretical understanding of the processes that generate these data has not advanced at the same rate. For example, after decades...

The sub-Himalayan thrust belt is an active thrust wedge which progresses southward over the northdipping Indian plate. The north–south compression resulted in severe deformation of sedimentary rocks in this belt. Distinct thrust geometries and topography have evolved under the interaction between tectonic and erosional environments. To better understand the relationship between tectonics and to...

Plate tectonics is one of the major factors affecting the potential habitability of a terrestrial planet. The physics of plate tectonics is, however, still far from being complete, leading to considerable uncertainty when discussing planetary habitability. Here, I summarize recent developments on the evolution of plate tectonics on Earth, which suggest a radically new view on Earth dynamics: co...