Paphos Life

Very interesting discussion, folks; thanks. I'm seriously considering switching my pool to SW, it having been ordinarily chlorinated for 12 years. What's the advice on how long to run the pump and at what time of day? Is it valid to presume that the flexible pipes (serving skimmers, jets bottom drai...

Thank you Dominic.
I visited the museum's predecessor about 11 years ago. It was run down and closed. What a transformation!

Your 'mystery rock' features orthocone nautiloids, carved and polished to be attractive.

Regards,
Mike

Here's one of the wasps (Hemipepsis sp.), in my garden in 2012;
distinctive pattern and a fair bit bigger than a hornet

Hi Alastair, (long time (2008)... looked at your villa before you bought it) It was probably not a hornet; most likely it was a tarantula killer wasp. They have an uncanny ability to locate tarantulas. A few years ago, I watched one in my garden. It was flying back and forth around one spot on a scr...

Nice Max.
Looks like pyrite in the last one (striated ~cubes)

Thanks Dominic. FYI: - Most of the white /colourless minerals lining geodes in this area will be quartz (often drusy quartz). - Small but distinct lumps of chalcopyrite (a copper ore) can be found, but you have to get your eye in! These lumps are usually a mush of many crystals, but they still show ...

I see you haven't read my PM, Carol.
I hope you have your system set to notify you of replies to your postings on PaphosLife, and that you know how to pick-up your FB messages.
Please reply!

PM'd you Carol

Yes Max - alabaster and siltstone intercalations

Thank you, guys. (love the fossilized frog!) Having done more research online... There is an interesting discussion on Cypriot evaporites in John K. Warren's excellent 'Evaporites: A Geological Compendium', around pp.469-476) https://books.google.com.cy/books?id=8e80DAAAQBAJ&lpg=PA1686&ots=U...

I should add that the original pale lime-green colour has faded somewhat.
It is nothing to do with the superficial algal green colouration seen in some of my photos.

I know the alabaster is gypsum (barely a bubble with 30% HCl). But what about the concretions? Ferrous sulphate / glauconite? / ??? I lean towards glauconite. Note "a diagnostic mineral indicative of continental shelf marine depositional environments with slow rates of accumulation" and &q...

Who's up on concretions in evaporites?
Especially pale lime-green ones in alabaster?...

I found these beside a country track between Polemi & Stroumpi.
I don't know exactly where (tut, tut!)

Any ideas on the mineralogy?

//Mike

Dominic, you can check if your white mineral is carbonate by putting a drop of acid on it to see if it fizzes. How much fizz depends partly on the strength of the acid: vinegar might give a little, conc. HCl a lot (careful!) White is probably the most common colour for minerals, and many of them occ...

Hi Max, thank you.

I am pleased to have found some other geologically-bent minds. I have at least one specimen to run under your eyes for comment (soon).

I think your specimens are good for serpentine, at least on the surfaces shown. The greasy-greeny-streakyness is all good.

//Mike

Some good and interesting photos/specimens! I agree with serpentinized ultramafic, and quite probably (hydro/)magnesite (best examples I have seen in Cyprus). And the last one appears to be quartz, exhibiting a drusy covering on a primarily botryoidal form. Just to be clear: - Serpentine is a minera...

Good post Max, thanks. Background: Inverter drives are also called variable frequency drives, amongst other things. They have been around for years (traceable back to patents by GEC in 1910). But the technology continues to improve. In general, they go between an AC supply and an AC motor, with fanc...

Hi Jennie,

I wonder if you are still looking...
I am selling my 2-bedroom apartment in Tremithousa.
Please have a look
http://cypruspropertyfinder.com/properties/ref-15-1556/

Regards,
Mike Hardman

Great idea Alan! Thanks.

One could also cut a pair of smaller pieces and use them as earplugs - to quieten a noisy snoring partner.
...Or cut three pieces and stuff them somewhere else!

Mike