Lithospheric structures beneath the western Mongolian Plateau: Insight from S wave receiver function

The Mongolian Plateau is located in the western segment of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt. In the Cenozoic, the western plateau was affected by the India-Asian collision; the Hangay Dome of a low-relief plateau has been formed. However, the mechanism of the uplift of the plateau and particularly the Hangay Dome is debated. In this study, we image the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB) with S wave receiver functions. The LAB is much shallower beneath the western Mongolian Plateau (-80?90 km) than beneath the North China Craton (-150 km) and Siberian Craton (-180 km). We also found another possible deep LAB at 200?250 km depths beneath the Hangay Dome, indicating a lithospheric delamination beneath western Mongolia. Thus we conclude that the consequential asthenospheric upwelling caused the tectonic uplift of the Hangay Dome.

Automated summary

The Mongolian Plateau in the western segment of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt was affected by the India-Asian collision, resulting in the formation of the Hangay Dome. Research findings suggest that the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary is shallower beneath the western Mongolian Plateau compared to the North China Craton and Siberian Craton, with a possible deeper boundary beneath the Hangay Dome indicating lithospheric delamination. This led to the conclusion that the tectonic uplift of the Hangay Dome was caused by consequential asthenospheric upwelling.