A study conducted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) confirmed that Iraq is currently undergoing a process of "sinking underground" due to the movement of tectonic plates in the surrounding region and their direct impact on Iraq, especially in the northern areas.

The study indicated that the Zagros Mountains in northern Iraq are currently experiencing "sinking" underground at a very slow rate due to the fracturing of tectonic plates in the surrounding area, which is now significantly affecting the layers beneath the Zagros Mountains. This has caused a chain reaction, gradually pushing Iraqi lands below their natural level.

The study confirmed that the movements of the tectonic plates beneath the Zagros Mountains could later lead to an increase in seismic activities in Iraq. Researcher Renas Kushnaw, a fellow at MIT, stated that studying these movements and fractures would help in understanding seismic activities globally.

Kushnaw noted that the "sinking" process within the earth is occurring at a very slow rate that cannot be measured using standard geological time units. Although this process explains to some extent the increase in seismic activities in Iraq, it will not significantly affect the Iraqi landscape in the foreseeable future.

Meanwhile, the Iraqi Meteorological Organization and Seismology indicated that the sinking of areas within the Zagros Mountains into the earth is a natural phenomenon and that the subduction of the Arabian Plate beneath the Iranian Plate leads to stress accumulation.

The head of the media department of the organization, Amer Al-Jabri, stated that "the gradual sinking of the mountainous area surrounding the Zagros Mountain range in Iraq does not mean it is drowning, but rather that a part of it is subducting and slipping, with the majority experiencing collision, resulting in the folding and thickening of layers and the formation of mountains, folds, faults, and fractures, among other geological processes. This has been happening for millions of years and continues."

He added that "this subduction leads to the formation of the Zagros Mountains and indicates that the edge of the Arabian Plate, which Iraq is part of, causes this collision. The subduction of the Arabian Plate beneath the Iranian Plate also leads to stress accumulation on these edges, resulting in earthquakes and seismic tremors. Predicting their exact time, date, and location is impossible, but these areas are considered active and prone to earthquakes since the Arabian Plate generally moves counterclockwise."

Deputy Director of the Seismological Monitoring Department at the General Authority for Seismology, Hassanain Jassim, explained that "the Zagros region has been a collision zone for millions of years and is not a new phenomenon, with the Arabian Plate colliding with the Eurasian Plate, which includes the Iranian and Turkish Plates, forming the Zagros Mountains. This collision, which took thousands of years, caused the accumulation of energy that later turned into earthquakes due to the fracturing process accompanied by fault movement or reactivation of existing faults."

He pointed out that "the time span for tectonic processes is extremely slow, as the Arabian Plate collides with the Eurasian Plate at a rate of 2 cm to 5 cm annually. The Red Sea opens from 3.5 cm to 5 cm due to this collision, and the collision occurs at a rate of 2 cm per year. The formation of mountains, terrains, and valleys results from tectonic processes that take millions or thousands of years due to their very slow movement, where it moves a few centimeters annually, resulting in these formations over time."

MIT researcher and geologist Renas Kushnaw revealed in a study on tectonic plate movements beneath the Zagros Mountains a significant geological development related to changes in tectonic plate movements in the Zagros Mountains.

Kushnaw stated in the study, followed by the Iraqi News Agency (INA), that "the mountainous area surrounding the Zagros Mountain range in Iraq is undergoing a gradual sinking into the earth," noting that "the effects of these processes cannot be felt immediately as we are talking about millions of years."

He added that "this sinking in Iraq is due to tectonic plate movements, with an increasing fault forming in the area between the Arabian and Eurasian Plates, known as the Neo-Tethys Oceanic Plate."

He explained that "this plate, which formed the seabed of an ancient ocean more than 66 million years ago, started separating from southeast Turkey to northwest Iran and is now subducting into the Earth's mantle."

He continued, "This process is complex and takes tens of millions of years." He led a joint research team from the University of Göttingen in Germany and the University of Bern in Switzerland to study the area surrounding the Zagros Mountains. Their aim was to understand what happens to an oceanic plate when two continental plates collide, especially since the lowlands surrounding the Zagros Mountains are deeper than expected given the relatively moderate topography of the region.

Kushnaw indicated that mountain ranges, like the Zagros Mountains, formed as a result of these tectonic collisions. By studying rock records and sediments supported by deep earth imaging, the researchers found that the Neo-Tethys Plate is subducting downward, taking the Zagros region in Iraq with it.

He mentioned that the research results could contribute to earthquake prediction, with practical applications revealing the mechanisms by which the Earth operates. This study highlights how dynamic our planet is and how the Earth's interior is closely linked to its surface.

Kushnaw stated that the research results can be used to create more accurate geological models showing deep underground activity, which could help in earthquake prediction.

He explained that earthquakes result from the movements of rock layers along faults and fractures, which can occur at any depth or scale. To determine where earthquakes occur, at what depth, and on what scale, scientists need to understand large-scale geological formations and rock distribution, making it easier to identify earthquake locations and their potential strength.

Understanding the terrain and how it changes over millions of years helps estimate the depth at which the geothermal gradient is high enough to produce energy, such as generating electricity.

Kushnaw noted that tectonic changes force the Zagros Mountain region in Iraq to sink, stressing that these processes take tens of millions of years to occur.

He added that a research team discovered an "oceanic plate" submerged beneath the Earth's surface, pulling the northern region of Iraq downward.