![Rivers have existed on Earth for a very long time, long before the formation of the Himalayas, Karakoram, and Hindu Kush...](https://img4.medioq.com/798/109/118526987981093.jpg)
28/07/2023
Rivers have existed on Earth for a very long time, long before the formation of the Himalayas, Karakoram, and Hindu Kush (HKH) mountain ranges. The history of rivers on Earth dates back billions of years. They played a crucial role in shaping the planet's surface through erosion and deposition processes.
The formation of the HKH mountain ranges, like the Himalayas, Karakoram, and Hindu Kush, is a relatively recent geological event in comparison to the age of the Earth. The Himalayas, for example, began to form around 50 million years ago due to the collision of the Indian tectonic plate with the Eurasian tectonic plate. This process, known as the "Indian Plate-Eurasian Plate Collision," is still ongoing today and has contributed to the continued growth of these mountains.
Rivers existed long before this collision and, in fact, were instrumental in shaping the landscape and carving out valleys and other landforms. They have been continuously flowing and changing over geological time, adjusting their courses as the Earth's surface evolved due to various tectonic and climatic changes.