Exhumation of deeply subducted continental crust along contrasting pathways: Examples from the North Qaidam ultrahigh pressure metamorphic terrane, North Tibet

•The YKU LT/UHP unit was exhumed under a low thermal gradient along the subduction channel.•The LLU HT/UHP unit was vertically exhumed through the hot mantle wedge into the lower crust.•Two spatially related UHP metamorphic units record different peak eclogite facies P-T conditions and contrasting exhumation pathways.