Any geologists to explain yellow/red Rock on the karpaz ridge cyprus

dippersgirl



Joined: 04/05/2010
Posts: 795

Message Posted:
24/06/2011 21:49

Travelling several times with the KARPAZ TRACTOR SAFARI, I have become more and more interested in this rock formation. I have not found much information. Anybody out there that knows more??

Pictures here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/karpazsafari/5631208069/in/set-72157626399828691

dizzycows


Joined: 12/05/2009
Posts: 2736

Message Posted:
24/06/2011 22:00

The whole Island had large copper deposits, think these rocks are just copper running through them, but I am sure there are members who know for sure ...

dippersgirl



Joined: 04/05/2010
Posts: 795

Message Posted:
24/06/2011 22:08

when you look at the rock surface close to, in some places it looks like raspberry ripple. I didn't think copper creates red colour?

DutchCrusader



Joined: 19/05/2008
Posts: 11281

Message Posted:
24/06/2011 22:27

@ msg 1, Dippersgirl: I think I have the information you are looking for. However it's a scientific article in Dutch (translated): "Cyprus, how the bottom of the sea became and island". It's a very long article (illustrated with pics and maps) and usually such an interesting article (by Drs W.C.P. de Vries) is - after publication - translated into English for an international audience. I'll check it for you and will let you know - maybe I can find it somewhere on the Internet also. If I fail to find it I can give you the sources for the article (several are in the English language).

DutchCrusader



Joined: 19/05/2008
Posts: 11281

Message Posted:
24/06/2011 22:51

@ msg 2, Dizzycows: (...) The whole Island had large copper deposits, think these rocks are just copper running through them, but I am sure there are members who know for sure ... (...)

▶ Not so! Copper was only found in the Western part of now TRNC (not far away from Lefke) and mainly in the Troodos, where the Myceans, Carthaginians, Phoenicians, Romans and Byzantines for thousands of years even mined gold! Too bad for our friends at the Dark Side: it's all gone...

DutchCrusader



Joined: 19/05/2008
Posts: 11281

Message Posted:
25/06/2011 08:01

@ msg 3 & 5 (more): Where the Cyprus' soil/rocks are red: it's rusted iron (ore) and is known as "iron hat". (Source: see msg 4).

bigOz


Joined: 29/09/2010
Posts: 1244

Message Posted:
25/06/2011 11:07

Cyprus was originally two protrusions of land from out of the sea, as a result of process called "folding", due to movement towards each other, of African and European continents. That was around 20 million years ago. The islands were formed by the tops of Kyrenia Range and Trodos mountains. This was later followed by the filling up of the Mesaoria plain by sedimentary layers of earth carried from top of these mountains. That took best part of 15-18 million years!

Because the rocks surfaced from the crust of the Earth, more than 25000 feet below the sea level, they were very rich and diverse in their mineral content (volcanic). Kyrenia Ranges were/are very rich in copper mineral, which turns red by oxidization when exposed to rain and sun. The "red rock you observe is not unique in its chemical make up. The rock structure beneath the trees and plantation is probably of the same material - but cannot be seen due to other sediments and plants / shrubs on top. (cont.)

bigOz


Joined: 29/09/2010
Posts: 1244

Message Posted:
25/06/2011 11:22

Furthermore, it has more prominent colours because this part of the rock has been more exposed to forces of nature over the centuries. This could explain why a rock that was "yellowish" at first later changed its colour to "red".

It is difficult to say without analyzing the mineral content of the rock, but looking at the pictures an educated guess tells me you are witnessing the same rock that was part of the one that ended up as an island called "Cyprus" (finally) some 1.5 million years ago!

If you used a sledge hammer to break up a large chunk of rock (covered with moss and shrubs) in that area, you will be very surprised what the internal colours/structure looks like.

F.Y.I. Latin word for copper is "cuprum" or the English derived version "cupric" and the actual oxidised copper is called "CUPROUS". Hence I agree with all those who believe the name "Cyprus" had originated from "Cuprous" - because of the copper rich rocks constituted.

suehowlittle


Joined: 31/10/2010
Posts: 1202

Message Posted:
25/06/2011 14:44

What a fascinating subject, I really enjoyed reading this. I am sure that you are right about the name of Cyprus, its not too far off Cuprous is it?

dippersgirl



Joined: 04/05/2010
Posts: 795

Message Posted:
25/06/2011 15:03

Thanks for all the info, Hans and big Oz.

I very much would like to know everything you can find Hans. have you ever seen this particular rock?

And Big Oz, I also have learned what you said from more than one source. So do you think that particular rock came up out of the ground? One of the turkish children here, made it their school project and he found an old book, where it said it came from above like a meteor. I don't think that, other that some volcanic action pushed it up and then it dropped were it is. Maybe the rest of the ground fell away over time and it was left exposed?

Samuel Baker's book, 'Cyprus as I saw it in 1879', states that there is some colourful red and yellow rock somewhere near not too far from Lefke, but it sounds much harder.

I also read that cyprus was made up of 2 islands that got pushed together over time.

My husband, mrdoodle (David) is very interested in the Geology of Cyprus and is looking for a book rhat is not too academic. Any suggestions

dippersgirl



Joined: 04/05/2010
Posts: 795

Message Posted:
25/06/2011 15:19

Hans, just put that name de Vries in the search, what a lot of info!! I'm quite happy to do a bit of research, but if you already have something, I would be really very pleased to see it.

Its also ok if there is something in German of course.

In England we live in South Wiltshire on the edge of Dorset and Somerset and it's probably a geologists paradise. There are so many fossils!



Has any of you seen this rock close to!!! You should and not just because I'm plugging the Tractor Safari!!!!!!

chriswife


Joined: 30/03/2011
Posts: 449

Message Posted:
25/06/2011 17:03

sandstone reacting to copper and iron deposition??

TheScarlets



Joined: 14/04/2009
Posts: 877

Message Posted:
25/06/2011 17:20

There are a few fossils in the road I live in Kent but they are nice people really

dippersgirl



Joined: 04/05/2010
Posts: 795

Message Posted:
25/06/2011 17:23

Its definitely not sandstone, iron yes, copper? don't think so. I thought copper was greenish, don't think the Karpaz has copper.

Also I'm curious not just about the colour, the way it looks - just like a big plug waiting to be pulled out

tighmonadh


Joined: 06/10/2010
Posts: 40

Message Posted:
25/06/2011 18:00

Dear Dippersgirl



If you look out for booklets by Dr William(Bill) Dreghorn you will find a great deal of very readable information about the geology of Cyprus. Bill retired in the late sixties and spent the rest of his life here. He had been a university lecturer in geology and applied his considerable knowledge to understanding the geology of Cyprus and making that information accessible to lay people.

Jetski


Joined: 21/07/2008
Posts: 584

Message Posted:
25/06/2011 18:19

If you can get hold of some back copies of Living magazine I have covered most of these issues in various articles. The red soils are nothing to do with copper but are a well known sign of 'Karst' scenery. They are formed by the degradation of limestone leaving just the iron minerals which are naturally red (or green in some special circumstances). The Kyrenia range is mostly composed of recrystalized limestones, sometimes rich in magnesium which makes them darker in colour (near Tatlisu). Towards the Karpaz especially around Balalan are magnificent outcrops of pillow lava which look like huge red/brown pillows. These were formed by lava erupting beneath the sea millions of years ago. The greater length of the karpaz i composed of geologicaly 'recent' deposits known as 'flysch' and Calcarenite - the lovely yellow stone used to build or face many houses in the north. The main quarry is near Kumyali. Happy to answer any other geological questions! There is NO copper in the Kyrenia range.

Jovial_John


Joined: 31/01/2009
Posts: 1024

Message Posted:
25/06/2011 18:39

There are various places along the Hilarion/Karsiyaka mountain road where there are fossilised sea shells embedded in the rock. Clealry the Five Fingers were once under the sea.

Jetski


Joined: 21/07/2008
Posts: 584

Message Posted:
25/06/2011 18:43

Also see my comment on the flickr page which explains the structure you photographed.

swannee7


Joined: 21/08/2009
Posts: 394

Message Posted:
25/06/2011 19:19

JJ (msge 17)



I spent 20 years of my young life in Cyprus and the family drove the Nicosia/Kyrenia route every Summer w/end. We followed the 'old' (and only) road, climbing up to what was known as the 'Kyrenia Pass'. Then it was downhill all the way to Kyrenia. About half a mile or so on the right hand side was a deepish 'gorge' with overgrown scrub, other plant matter and the remnants of some fir trees. Right in the middle of all that foliage stood one fossilised tree trunk. This wonderful pre-historic 'monument' within part of the Kyrenia Range remained visible and in situ till some time after 'road improvements' took place. No sign of it now.... I have no idea whether it was demolished through an act of ignorance or whether its still hidden up there somewhere. Millions of years ago I believe the Kyrenia Range was made up of huge swathes of forest and before that, the Range was under the sea, waiting to be born....

dippersgirl



Joined: 04/05/2010
Posts: 795

Message Posted:
25/06/2011 20:07

thanks jetski

post on flickr:

You're quite right! it did pop out of the earth. It's called an Olistolith and is the result of the land around it being worn away more rapidly. In this case the lump is an ancient marble boulder that rolled down a marine continental slope which was subsequently uplifted and eroded. Theres a number of them at the end of the Kyrenia range.

From an online encyclopedia:

olistostrome (olisthostrome) A sedimentary deposit which consists of a chaotic mass of rock and contains large clasts composed of material older than the enclosing sedimentary sequence. The clasts may be gigantic and are then called ‘olistoliths’. Such deposits are generally formed by gravity sliding of material, sometimes into oceanic trenches. Olistostromes have also been called ‘sedimentary mélange’



This is really very interesting and I will incorporate it into my new leaflet.

Still would love hear from you, Hans, interested in historic answers as well

dippersgirl



Joined: 04/05/2010
Posts: 795

Message Posted:
25/06/2011 20:17

Thanks also tighmonagh, will look for those leaflets

What a lot of interesting information!!! lots to research now.

keep it coming!!