Plate Tectonics at the Blink of an Eye

Tectonic processes on the Earth operate over a scale of millions of years. Today, we only see their cumulative outcome in terms of topographic build-up, evolution of landscape, emergence of island belts, reorganization of tectonic plates, etc. These processes cause crustal deformation through distinct phases of the earthquake cycle. An earthquake cycle operates over tens to hundreds of years. The process of strain accumulation in an earthquake cycle is slow, varying from less than a couple of millimetre per year in the plate interior (e.g. Indian peninsula) regions to less than a couple of centimetre per year in the plate boundary (e.g., Himalayan arc) regions.