Day 6, Locality 4
4) E105 road, Kato Lefkara; roadcut near Four Winds Tavern.
The section here shows about 15m of well bedded, fissile chalk, with many chert horizons. These are Eocene-Oligocene chalks of the Lefkara Formation Middle Member, Chalk and Chert Unit.
Close examination will reveal numerous repeating horizons starting with lobate basal coarser chalks, grading upwards to finer, planar laminated chalks. Chert bands are also developed within these rhythmic units, often in the coarser chalk horizons. Many of the chert units have planar bases, often above fine, planar chalks. Tops of many chert bands are wavy, and overlain by lobate-based coarser chalks.
These are thought to be calciturbidite deposits, deep ocean calcareous sediments deposited as turbidity flows from more proximal shelf/platform regions of the ocean basin. This indicates that bottom currents are becoming apparent, and indicates the onset of tectonic activity in more distant parts of the Neotethyan ocean basin.
