Decoding pressure-temperature-deformation history of the mantle:

Critical review on the Horoman peridotite complex and new proposals

Abstract

Mantle peridotites exposed on the Earth's surface are “fossilized” mantle materials. Records of pressure-temperature-deformation histories (P-T-d-t paths) preserved in mantle peridotites reveal dynamic motion within the mantle with association of deformation, changes in pressure and temperature, and magma-related processes. Reconstruction of such P-T-d-t paths for mantle peridotites backward from the moment of “fossilization” through exhumation as far back in time as possible, will expand the current understanding of the long-term dynamic behavior of the mantle. The Horoman peridotite complex in the southern Hidaka metamorphic belt of Hokkaido, Japan, has long been examined using various approaches to decode past P-T-d-t paths recorded in the peridotite and mafic rocks. Here we critically review previous work related to reconstructions of P-T-d-t paths for the Horoman peridotite complex, and use the data to outline the dynamic history of the complex from the oldest events until their final ascent leading to emplacement within the crust.