The April Field Trip
John Lawley
Field Trip to Troulli.
The next meeting of the Geology Group will be in the form of a Field
Trip to the Troulli area.
This area is about as far to the east that the Troodos plate material
is exposed. One can clearly see the interface between the Pillow
Lavas of the marine plate and the normally overlying limestone
sediments. The Troodos opheolite sequence was produced at such a
great depth on the ocean floor that for many millions of years
limestone sediments could not form as the water pressure was so great
that the Calcium Carbonate was forced into solution. However, some
sediments – albeit a very narrow band - did form. We shall have a
look at these and discuss what they represent during the morning.
We shall also be looking at so old mine workings where, until
relatively recently, men were extracting Umbers from the massive
sulphide bodies that were form by sea bed currents flowing through the
pillow lavas. Erosion of the spoil heaps by this winters rains has
exposed a wide range of interesting material for us to examine.
We shall be meeting at 10.00 on Friday the 9th of April at the T-
junction at the northern end of the Exit road at Junction 57 of the
Agia Napa highway. This is marked Lividia, Kellia and Troulli.
All U3A members will be welcome. We always start with a brief
overview of the theory of the Geology involved, so that everyone has
some understanding of the area we shall be examining on the day.
John Lawley.