Massive lithospheric delamination in southeastern Tibet facilitating continental extrusion

Significant left-lateral movement along the Ailao Shan-Red River fault accommodated a substantial amount of the late Eocene to early Miocene India-Asia convergence. However, the activation of this critical strike-slip fault remains poorly understood. Here, we show key seismic evidence for the occurrence of massive lithospheric delamination in southeastern Tibet. Our novel observation of reflected body waves (e.g. P and P) retrieved from ambient noise interferometry sheds new light on the massive foundered lithosphere currently near the bottom of the mantle transition zone beneath southeastern Tibet. By integrating the novel seismic and pre-existing geochemical observations, we highlight a linkage between massive lithospheric delamination shortly after the onset of hard collision and activation of continental extrusion along the Ailao Shan-Red River fault. This information provides critical insight into the early-stage evolution of the India-Asia collision in southeastern Tibet, which has significant implications for continental collision and its intracontinental response.