Day 2, Locality 1

1) North of Palodeia Village, E110 road, long road cut, Yerassa fold/thrust belt.

 Along the road leading to the locality, road cuttings show horizontally bedded chalks of the Lefkara and Pakhna Formations.  Then, as the actual locality is approached a few scrappy exposures show dips increasing. At the locality itself the chalks are vertical, sheared, contorted, and in some places overturned.

A few videos of the exposure.  The first is a close-up scan of the complete rockface:   MPG-1   WMV-1.  Then a view from the bank on the opposite side of the road (with a passing truck!)   MPG-2   WMV-2.  And finally a short one of Paul answering questions:   MPG-3    WM-3.   As usual, the sound is rather scrappy.

This is a significant locality, indicating the tectonic effects experienced in the frontal aspect of the Cyprus Arc during Mid to Late Miocene resurgence of subduction. Compressional effects here are manifest in the south-verging culmination, with an almost E-W axis. The orientation of this structure follows closely that of the earlier-initiated Troodos-Larnaca culmination to the north, which is likely to have exerted a controlling influence on this later structure here.

 Within the contorted chalks numerous shear planes can also be seen, cutting horizons with a shallower dip than that of the bedding.

When viewing the exposure from the opposite bank, take care not to trample the wild orchids.