Migrations of the Indus River, Pakistan, in Response to Plate Tectonic Motions

It is contended that the westerly shift of the Indus River, up to about 160km, much of which occurred during historic times and is attested to by a network of abandoned channels and associated structures (and the corresponding easterly trend of the Ganges) is a side-effect of the northward drift of the Indian tectonic plate.

In the extremely fiat alluvial Indus Plain, located in a mobile belt near the boundary of the Indian and Afghanistan plates, instrumental documentation of tilting is lacking but is strongly indicated by systematic and progressive river migrations in stages recognized by Pithawalla as Prehistoric, Greek, Arab, Middle Ages, Eighteenth Century, and British.

Speculations are ventured on how future differential motions of the Indus and Afghanistan plates might further affect the Indus drainage; engineering applications of such motions focus on the Tarbela Dam.