Liesegang Rings in the Akamas

[Dominic]

Read the blog and chat about it below...

This blog was originally titled "Fossils in the Akamas", until a user, Dappledown, correctly identified the phenomenon as Liesegang Rings. If you see references to fossils in the comments below it is because of that.

[Lofos-5]

I think I know the outcrop that the blog is referring to, it is close to the Last Castle restaurant. If it is the same as I think, then it is 50 m after the last car park and where the walking path crosses the stream that comes out of the gorge a bit further up which is worth a visit and can be crossed from one end to the other.

The rock face there is full of gypsum, a mineral, not a fossil. If you pick up some of the small crystals on the ground (please do not destroy the outcrop itself!) you can check the hardness of the mineral with your fingernail. Gypsum, unlike calcite or quartz, is very soft.

Gypsum can be scratched with your fingernails - that differentiates it from other minerals where you need a Swiss Army knife to be able to leave a scratch (which scratches calcite but not quartz). See here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohs_scal ... l_hardness

Outcrops like this one are rare - but often associated with Ophiolites, which prior the discovery of the Omani one were most often visited here in Cyprus. I came here during my studies as well on a week long excusion but only remember the meze and stupid amounts of drinks we had

A.

[Dominic]

No, to get to this you have to come up from the track by Agia Matrona.

On Google Maps

[Lofos-5]

Wow - that is about 5 km from where I thought it is - will need to investigate next time over - many thanks for the "dropped pin" on Google maps!

[Dominic]

You may find it easier coming from the Pano Arodes direction. You can reach it in a saloon car that way. From the Akamas direction you need a 4x4, and make sure you have a spare tyre!

[Dappledown]

The rings are not fossils (tree trunks or otherwise).
These are Liesegang rings - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liesegang_rings_(geology) - a rather mysterious phenomenon that should not be confused with conchoidal and plumose fracture patterns that can be seen, for example, in the Avakas gorge.
You will note from the photographs that the rings are not only radial but circumferential i.e. they enclose a centre point. In addition, they can overlap one another and, if you run your finger over them, you will detect a slight amplitude.
Just saying!

[Dominic]

Excellent stuff, Dappledown. I will amend the blog so that the rings get their proper title.