Fascinating Fossilised Rocks Near The Sea

[Dominic]

Max is back with another guest blog. This time he is showing us some of the fascinating fossilised rocks he has found near Aphrodite's Rock. Over to you, Max...

Read the blog and chat about it below...

[PaphosAL]

Fascinating finds, samples, and photos, Max! Thanks for sharing your amazing geological discoveries once again!

Amazing and stunning to see stuff like this literally millions of years old, when dinosaurs were probably still roaming around...

Cheers- AL

[Lofos-5]

Nice, these rocks are part of an ophiolite (that makes up a substantial part of Cyprus, especially the Troodos mountains). We travelled to Cyprus with my university to see the ophiolite which was long considered as one of the best ones in the world, before the Omani one got more prominent and easier to reach by plane.

An ophiolite is obducted ocean mantle and crust - the special thing about it being that these kind of rock series normally are subducted (i.e. destroyed and not visible in outcrops to geologists etc.). The dark rocks in your first pic could be mantle rock which often is filled with crystals as you show stemming from later hydrothermal fluids cicrulating through the rock and dissolving MG rich minerals etc. Difficult to judge from the pics.

In the Akamas you can find the "crustal end-member" of the ophiolite sequence - so called pillow lava. Shapes of rock reflecting the situation where lava got chilled when leaving a mid-ocean ridge and entering the cold seawater.

A.

[cyprusmax47]

The last photos of my Gallery are showing mainly Agatized Corals and water plants > 20 mio years old. One can look up the website of paleo direct with some examples very much like mine...

https://www.paleodirect.com/coral-fossi ... -for-sale/

Max

[Jimgward]

Fantastic.. thank you.

[Lofos-5]

There were even some Cypriot stamps showing this kind of mineralisation:

http://www.philatelism.com/details.php?issueid=224

Unfortunately never seen them at the post office

A.

[PaphosAL]

There were even some Cypriot stamps showing this kind of mineralisation:

http://www.philatelism.com/details.php?issueid=224

Unfortunately never seen them at the post office

A.

Nice link, and very interesting reading thanks! On my solo walks around the Paphos area, I was often surprised by visual evidence of what was clearly volcanic or earthquake activity at ground level...

But me, not being a geologist, it was impossible to tell if what I was looking at happened last year, last century, or older than that? One thing is certain- Cyprus has some amazing countryside to offer for walkers and ramblers!

Cheers / Yia Mas - AL

when venturing into the wilds, always have your charged mobile with you, plenty of water, sun hat. Even a small first aid kit, as it's dead easy to trip or stumble off a narrow goat track and hurt yourself on sharp rocks or prickly bushes! I used to walk where goats feared to tread, LOL!

[cyprusmax47]

"when venturing into the wilds, always have your charged mobile with you, plenty of water, sun hat. Even a small first aid kit, as it's dead easy to trip or stumble off a narrow goat track and hurt yourself on sharp rocks or prickly bushes! I used to walk where goats feared to tread, LOL!"

You are right Allan, providing there is a signal in the wilds you should have a charged phone in case you had an "appointment" with a snake e.g. ( so always carry a proper stick when turning large rocks or climbing up hills.) Also some food would be advisable because in a heat like now you are very easy hypoglycaemic, so a cooler bag in your car make sense. Concerning car you forgot to mention that you could have a sudden engine problem and got stuck somewhere you cannot even explain where it is exactly....

Max

[cyprusmax47]

There were even some Cypriot stamps showing this kind of mineralisation:

http://www.philatelism.com/details.php?issueid=224

Unfortunately never seen them at the post office

A.

Nice information, Thank you.... have sent you a PM....

Max

[Dominic]

"when venturing into the wilds, always have your charged mobile with you, plenty of water, sun hat. Even a small first aid kit, as it's dead easy to trip or stumble off a narrow goat track and hurt yourself on sharp rocks or prickly bushes! I used to walk where goats feared to tread, LOL!"

You are right Allan, providing there is a signal in the wilds you should have a charged phone in case you had an "appointment" with a snake e.g. ( so always carry a proper stick when turning large rocks or climbing up hills.) Also some food would be advisable because in a heat like now you are very easy hypoglycaemic, so a cooler bag in your car make sense. Concerning car you forgot to mention that you could have a sudden engine problem and got stuck somewhere you cannot even explain where it is exactly....

Max

Last year we got a puncture in the middle of nowhere in our newly purchased car. I was unable to fix it because the car had new wheels fitted, which used a different nut size to the wheel wrench. I had great fun explaining our location to the recovery firm, but they got to us eventually. We were lucky, because the car had our beach stuff in it, so we got out the parasol and seats and made ourselves comfortable. We had plenty of water to drink so the wait was ok.

[Lofos-5]

To come back on the topic of geology - I have been in contact with Max and we discussed some of the outcrops and photos that he has posted in his blogs. (His contributions triggered my interest as geology is what I studied many moons ago and what still pays my salary, in the O&G business though). Anyway, the geology of the area of the blogs is part of the Mamonia complex and is very complicated - below some background and two maps for those of you interested:

The Mamonia complex is currently considered the most controversial aspect of Cyprus geology, consisting of two major and one minor litho-tectonic components. The first and lowermost is made up of Mesozoic sediments and volcanics predating genesis of the Troodos ophiolite, known as the Dhiarizos Group. The second upper component is comprised of Upper Cretaceous Ophiolitic rocks, with minor slivers of metamorphic rocks and serpentinite of unconfirmed origin. These Mamonia complex units are overlain unconformably by several hundred metres of debris flows, known as the Kathikas Melange or Formation. The Mamonia complex is thought to have formed in three distinct periods, before final submarine compression, thrusting, and erosion, which formed the Kathikas Formation. Firstly, the Dhiarizos Group was formed as crust generated during the opening of the Mesozoic Tethys. The Upper Cretaceous Ophiolitic rocks are interpreted as remnants of oceanic crust and mantle of very similar type to those seen around the Arakapas, or Southern Troodos Transform Fault Zone (STTFZ). Minor metamorphic units are interpreted as being of similar origin to the metamorphic soles of other Tethyan ophiolites, e.g. Oman.

geologymapcyprus.png (75.09 KiB) Viewed 5507 times

GeologicalMapOfCyprus_small.jpg (185.69 KiB) Viewed 5507 times

Bottom line is, since this terrane is a mix of terrestrial and marine components, one can find almost everything, mixed up, and adjacent to each other. I.e. you can have deep marine sediments next to fossilised terrestrial plants! Quite fascinating but not easy to map and interpret believe me!

The map can be downloaded here:
http://www.moa.gov.cy/moa/gsd/gsd.nsf/d ... enDocument

A.

[Dominic]

It is certainly fun exploring the rocks, but I have no idea what most of your post meant I am afraid.

When I was at Uni I shared a house with a load of Geologists at the Royal School of Mines. They would have loved it here. In between their visits to the bar they would have had a whale of a time exploring the geology. I am just happy looking at shiny crystals.

[cyprusmax47]

Thank you very much Lofos-5 for your interesting post ( at least for me ) This view that we are talking about a "Melange" of different formations will encourage me for more geological excursions in the future. And everything within a radius of max 30 miles which is perhaps unique in the world.
But this would be typical Cyprus where even weather conditions are different every few miles. If one stays only at home it is just a waste a time to be in Cyprus as there is so much to explore..
Max

[Bograt]

If one stays only at home it is just a waste a time to be in Cyprus as there is so much to explore..
Max

Absolutely. Every time we are there, we find new things to see and do. We keep meaning to go towards Limassol, Nicosia etc etc but to be honest, there is still so much to see on our doorstep that we just haven't got round to it yet.

[cyprusmax47]

It is certainly fun exploring the rocks, but I have no idea what most of your post meant I am afraid.

When I was at Uni I shared a house with a load of Geologists at the Royal School of Mines. They would have loved it here. In between their visits to the bar they would have had a whale of a time exploring the geology. I am just happy looking at shiny crystals.

Beside many interesting informations from Lofos-5, the fact that one can find many different crystals and fossils only in our Paphos area (Mamonia complex) you can see on the nice map, even showing the Volcanics near Marathounda ( which I mentioned in another Blog about Amethyst.) For me this makes this Hobby even more interesting than before, as I knew only very little about Geology in the past. I try to never stop learning new things to keep me busy and my brain working..( supposedly helping against Alzheimer as well)

Max

[cyprusmax47]

If one stays only at home it is just a waste a time to be in Cyprus as there is so much to explore..
Max

Absolutely. Every time we are there, we find new things to see and do. We keep meaning to go towards Limassol, Nicosia etc etc but to be honest, there is still so much to see on our doorstep that we just haven't got round to it yet.

Bograt
Before you even think about going to Nicosia you should try this trip into the Paphos/Limassol forest where you feel you are in a different country not hot barren Cyprus but in a tropical place : Diarizos valley until Milikouri where you drive ca 20 km along the river in a really dense green forest...
Most of the distance is the Diarizos river valley starting after the Asprokremnos Dam - Ayios Nicolaos - down to the Arminou dam and medieval bridge - then towards Milikouri - Kykko Monastery - Cedar valley - Panayia - Stroumbi - Paphos. Full day trip, but it was always my favorite...
Max

[Lofos-5]

That valley is really quite amazing - and the track is not bad at all.

Below one of the bridges, end March last year.

bridge - 1.jpg (171.7 KiB) Viewed 5403 times

A.

[Bograt]

[quote=cyprusmax47 post_id
Bograt
Before you even think about going to Nicosia you should try this trip into the Paphos/Limassol forest where you feel you are in a different country not hot barren Cyprus but in a tropical place : Diarizos valley until Milikouri where you drive ca 20 km along the river in a really dense green forest...
Most of the distance is the Diarizos river valley starting after the Asprokremnos Dam - Ayios Nicolaos - down to the Arminou dam and medieval bridge - then towards Milikouri - Kykko Monastery - Cedar valley - Panayia - Stroumbi - Paphos. Full day trip, but it was always my favorite...
Max
[/quote]
Thank you Max for such a detailed itinerary. That sounds wonderful. I will hopefully do this trip in September. If I can't get the o/h to come with me, I'll venture off on my own. With water bottles, as Dominic advises!

[cyprusmax47]

[quote=cyprusmax47 post_id
Bograt
Before you even think about going to Nicosia you should try this trip into the Paphos/Limassol forest where you feel you are in a different country not hot barren Cyprus but in a tropical place : Diarizos valley until Milikouri where you drive ca 20 km along the river in a really dense green forest...
Most of the distance is the Diarizos river valley starting after the Asprokremnos Dam - Ayios Nicolaos - down to the Arminou dam and medieval bridge - then towards Milikouri - Kykko Monastery - Cedar valley - Panayia - Stroumbi - Paphos. Full day trip, but it was always my favorite...
Max

Thank you Max for such a detailed itinerary. That sounds wonderful. I will hopefully do this trip in September. If I can't get the o/h to come with me, I'll venture off on my own. With water bottles, as Dominic advises!
[/quote]


It is a full day tour, so food is also necessary to take with you. Beside Kykko Monastery there is nowhere to eat (and Kykko is only terrible food) and when you are back to civilisation at Panayia forget that as well (rip off). A little teaser what you can expect:


Little impression of the density along the river for ca 20 km...towards Milikouri


After you left Kykko Monastery this is on the way back to Panayia...(Cedar tree in the center) you can see the blue car on the left where the road is.

Max

[Dominic]

Funnily enough my next blog takes you from Vretsia to the area around Platres.