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The Geology
Photographs, Flickr and Geobloggers
Friday and
Saturday - Getting to the island
Sunday morning
Sunday Afternoon
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday - Leaving the island.
You are visitor
number
to this page.
This excursion started off as an emergency
lecture! A lecturer pulled out at very short notice (he had a very
good reason for doing so), and we were left with finding someone to
fill the gap. A frenzied phone call to our departmental representative
(Prof. Jon Blundy) led to his suggesting that
John Schumacher would
make a good substitute. A very true statement!
The resulting lecture was remarkable for two things. The interest
of the geology and the enthusiasm of John Schumacher. This combination
suggest one thing to the secretary of a geological society - an
excursion!
Back to Start
John Schumacher's introduction to the geology of Syros is
here.
Back to Start
John was approached and immediately said yes. The excursion was
arranged for September 2005. We arranged that John Schumacher would do the difficult bits of
arranging the accommodation. For him, this was easy as he is a
frequent visitor to the island, taking students every summer on their
mapping exercise. He has close relations with one of the hotel owners
who was pleased to get some visitors at a quiet time of the year. And
transport on the island was John's responsibility also. The south of the
island has a good bus service and Giorgio - the hotel owner - has his
own bus which was used to take us to places the regular buses did not
go.
So WEGA's responsibility was to find the people to go on the
excursion and to get them to the island. It soon became apparent that
several people were intent on making the trip to Syros part of a
larger break. Therefore it would have been silly to try to arrange
group travel. We decided that we would do the minimum - WEGA and John
Schumacher arranged the leader, the hotel and transport on the island;
the participants would arrange how they got to the hotel and how they
got home again.
However we did give advice as to which flights and ferries would be
suitable and, as the prospect of catching a ferry from Piraeus is not
for the faint-hearted, indicated that, if we used these flights, we
would have the benefit of John Schumacher buying our tickets and leading us to our boat.
By various means and not without adventure we all arrived at
The
Olympia Hotel in Finikas, Syros in time to start our first excursion.
Almost all the rest of this page is a diary of how we got to the island and what
we did on the island.
Back to Start
There are many photographs taken by the website editor on Syros,
and many of them appear on these pages. Because photographs tend to be
large files it would be impossible to store all of them on the servers
which host WEGA - we would run out of space very quickly. We would be
forced to store them as small as we could make them and the resulting
lack of quality would negate the purpose of taking them.
The answer we have come up with is to store the pictures on
Flickr. I have uploaded the
original picture - often 3.5MB in size - to Flickr; they store this,
and also various smaller versions. We can show these on this page
without having the picture on our own servers. If you click on the
picture on this page you get taken to the Flickr site where you can
look at the picture there. To see the picture in a larger (or smaller)
form, click on "All Sizes" above the picture.
Also, if you want to get a print, all you need to do is download
the largest version (the original) save it and print it, if you have a suitable
printer, or send it to an online photo printer. I have found
Photobox to be very
satisfactory. The size of the picture files is such that you could get
a satisfactory print at, up to, A3 size - and that is a very large
print! To save a picture, right click on it, select on the menu which
appears "Save image as ....", give the picture a name and save it
somewhere on your computer where you will find it again.
I have created a WEGA
group on Flickr. Here you can look at the pictures I have taken and
upload your own. This is an invitation only group, so if you want to
join let me know and an invite will be on its way to any WEGA member!
Flickr stores the photos,
Geobloggers lets you know where they were taken.
All the photos
taken on Syros can be found on
this
Geobloggers page. Geobloggers combines photos on Flickr with
Google Maps. A link to each
photograph is placed on the place where it was taken.
Alternatively go to
geobloggers, find Syros, (it is easier with the satellite view)
and the pictures will appear. If you centre the map over a particular
place, any picture taken at that place will appear. Almost like magic!
Kai Yung's
World Galleries is a development of Geobloggers allowing more
sophisticated display of the photographs. When you get to the site
look at the pictures, then "Change Galleries" to "Fine Photography".
This gives access to a wider selection of photographs.
Back to Start
Friday and
Saturday - Getting to the island
We set off from Bristol at about 3: 45 and got to the M25 at about
5:45. It then took about an hour to do the 2 miles to junction 3 on
the M4. Chris was going frantic - should we go along the hard shoulder
- should we have turned off at the previous junction etc etc. Well we
did get to the car parking people at about 7 - got signed in and were
at the airport by 7:30.
We had checked in online and checking in the bags was easy, although
we had to put them in a special place as they were rucksacks - too
many straps etc. Then we discovered that the flight was postponed to
9!
After some coffee we went to our gate - 39, and met all the people,
got on board and waited. We waited to be pushed back, we waited in
line to get on the runway. Eventually we took off 2 hours late.
The flight was uneventful. Neither of us got much sleep. Because of
the dispute at the caterers we got a bag of crisps for our supper. We
got into Athens at 4, got through immigration and Customs without any
problems and discovered that Terry and Joyce would be getting in at
5:15. In the meantime I got the bus tickets for everyone - 11 x €2.90
= €31.90. Everyone paid up except John Schumacher and WEGA will be
paying for him.
We caught the 6AM bus - everyone knew this except Chris and I had to
rush back to get her - earning some opprobrium for my trouble.
We got to Piraeus at about 6:45 after negotiating some memorable
traffic jams in Piraeus. We gave €25 to John to buy the tickets and
then he discovered that there was no room on the ferries! So we would
have to wait for the afternoon ferry at 3. Most people seemed to think
that they would stay in Piraeus but the Craigs and we decided to ride
the Metro to Monasteriki, near the centre of Athens.
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| We did not want to
stay overnight in Athens so we took a flight which got us into
Athens in the wee small hours. Some found this easier to cope with
than others.
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Despite arriving at
Piraeus early we found that there was no room on the ferry.
Apparently rough weather in the previous few days had stopped the
high speed ferries. So all the traffic had switched to "our"
ferry. So we were forced to wait for the afternoon ferry. Some
started with breakfast.
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We based ourselves in
a cafe on the waterfront.
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This we did - €0.60 each, each way.
We were going to look at the flea market but nothing was open so we
decided to do the Ruins. And we rather enjoyed it. We had an early
lunch, went back to join the others and took a bus to get our ferry.
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| Getting on to the
ferry.
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Leaving Piraeus
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Sunset as we approach
Syros
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This ferry was an ex cross-channel ferry. It had been converted at a
cost of about €10. But it got us to Syros at about 8. We were met on
the quay by George the hotel owner, who gave us a warm welcome and
took us to the hotel in double quick time.
We had a quick shower and shave and were able to have a very good meal
at about 9.
Then off to bed and the sleep of the exhausted.
Back to Start
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| A Geological Map of Syros.
Here is a larger version.
And
here is a huge version. |
Sunday - Our first Geological Day
I think we all slept well and got
down to sample a rather good breakfast. There was lovely yoghurt and
very good croissants.
We set off at 9 and walked to the northern side of the harbour where
we looked at some blueschists. There were spectacular lawsonites which
had been psuedomorphed by epidote and phengite (mica). Also large
omphacites which are green. The structural relationships are very
complex. You tend to find everything in the same place!
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| Glaucophane Schist with
lawsonite pseudomorphs
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Admiring the rocks,
Finikas harbour, Syros.
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Discussing the rocks.
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Here
is a link to the photographs taken on Sunday morning.
and
Here is where they were taken.
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Back to Start
This was a short introduction to the geology of Syros. We decided we
would do little exploration of the village, have a swim and have
lunch.
Lunch was in a taverna which we had passed earlier and Christine had
liked the colour of the table cloths. This worked on this occasion as
we had a very good lunch - there were capers in the Greek Salad again
- and the retsina was good.
Sunday
Afternoon
We caught the 2:10 bus and got off at Gallitsas and then walked to
where the afternoon was to be spent. There were figs to be picked on
the way!
Where we went was an area of marble and ophiolite. We found everything
- eclogite, blueschist, meta-gabbro. Lots of garnets, giant sphenes,
tourmaline - a mineralogists dream!
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| View north along the west coast of
Syros.
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Sphene phenocrysts - calcium titanium silicate
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The Treasurer, Glo, glowing
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A block of metagabbro, with large, green omphacites.
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More Sphenes.
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The end of a long, hot, satisfying afternoon.
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Here is a link to
all the photographs taken on Sunday afternoon.
and
Here is where they were taken.
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We collected lots of rocks and walked back to Gallissas where we had a
beer as we waited for the bus. Back to the hotel, shower and dinner.
Back to Start
Monday - Hermoupoli
We decided to get an
early start so that we could finish earlier - a hope not to be
fulfilled.
We breakfasted at 7 and caught the 8:10 bus. Chris did not come with
us, she came to town later.
We left the bus station and walked out of town and got down to the
shore some distance north of town. We were looking at an ultamafic
unit which had a faulted contact with a large area of marble. The
ultramafics were nearer the sea. The marbles were complexly folded.
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| Walking down to the
shore. Kastri marble in front of us. |
John explains what we
will see
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Church on the
crumbling edge.
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| Red garnet, blue
glaucophane, green omphacite, white feldspar?
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John thinks this is
metamorphosed pillow lava.
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Glaucophane schist
with omphacite
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The ultramafics were highly metamorphosed sea bed material - basalts
and gabbros for the most part but also serpentinites. Minerals were
garnet, omphacite, glaucophane, ranging from lawsonite to almost pure
end member glaucophane, rutile, sphene, dolomite. In some places we
saw what may be pillow lavas. In others we saw the contact between the
metamorphosed basalt and a gabbroic intrusion. The resulting skarn
type zone included large dolomite crystals.
Some glaucophane garnet schist was lavender in colour. This was
probably end member glaucophane. Large numbers of specimens were
collected.
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| "Black-eyed" garnets.
The pressure shadows round the garnets are filled with black
amphibole.
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"White-eyed" garnets.
The pressure shadows round the garnet are filled with white
calcite.
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Dolomite crystals in
skarn between basalt and gabbro.
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Here is a link to
all the photographs taken on Monday.
and
Here is where they were taken.
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Then back to town for lunch. Here I met Christine and was unable to
participate in the afternoon part of the excursion which, I am told
was rewarding (twinned lawsonite crystals were a highlight) and
strenuous.
Back to Start
Tuesday - Vari
As yesterday was an early start,
today we got the 9:20 bus to Vari. There we walked to the other side
of the peninsula, passing some up-market houses - the area is
obviously going up-market.
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| Seen in Vari
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Recent Developments in
Vari |
Looking towards the
Vari Gneisses. |
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| Examining the pebbles |
A variety of dress was
worn while recording the rocks |
Glaucophane schist
with rutile needles |
When we got to the shore we set off and were soon looking at some
fantastic rocks. Garnets, glaucophane, omphacite, rutile and epidote.
They make fantastic specimens. All the minerals are of a large size.
And in the area are marbles which we found to be closely associated
with the mafic rocks. Indeed we found marbles with eclogite
inclusions. And marbles with garnet crystals. The whole area is
a paradise for geologists and mineralogists.
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| Walking the shore. |
Garnet glaucophane
schist. Note the calcite stringer cutting a garnet crystal. |
Garnet glaucophane
marble. Note the lump of eclogite on the right. |
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| Marble with a variety
of things in it. |
Garnet eclogite. You
must see this picture in a larger form! it is beautiful! |
Eclogite with rutile |
Our geological enquiries were enlivened by the high jinks of the
younger members of the party. These bikini clad scamps entertained us
with jumping off rocks into the sea and other light hearted antics.
Also they found some rather good rocks.
At lunch time some of the stader members of the party joined the
mermaids and had a cooling dip in the sea.
In the afternoon we continued along the coast and found very large
zoisites. The geological bit was finding light and dark bands of high
grade rocks closely associated. These were interpreted as being
bi-polar volcanics. Some island arcs give basaltic and dacitic lavas
only, (the Daly gap) and John Schumacher thinks that the lighter and
darker bands are pyroclastics which were subducted. The resulting mica
rich bands should not be interpreted as pelitic bands. Pelites
indicate deep water and mature area being eroded. This does not tally
with the many shelf carbonates to be found in the area.
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Here is a link to
all the photographs taken on Tuesday
and
Here is where they were taken. |
After finishing with the rocks we went back to Vari village, had some
ice cream and beer. Some went into Ermopouli to arrange transport off
the island on Saturday while others returned to the hotel for rest and
recuperation.
Back to Start
Wednesday -
among the knockers
Today was a strenuous day. We set off in the Hotel bus at 9 and went
through Ermopouli and up, past the Catholic Cathedral and on and up to
Saint Michael where the road, passable to buses, stops. We passed a
spot suitable for photography, of which we took advantage. Incidentally,
at Gallissas, John had hired a small car which he will need later in
his stay. At St M's we started walking.
The countryside is steep and covered in scrub. There are no trees.
There is a lot of marble about and lots of serpentinite. Both are
complexly folded and are intimately associated. The serpentinite, in
particular has squeezed itself into and around the marble. There are
basalt sills and dykes in both the serpentinite and marble.
At one place there is a marble containing glaucophane and garnet! This
is close to a basalt dykelet which is much broken up and surrounded by
marble. (Different competencies).
But the most spectacular feature of the area are the knockers. These
float through the serpentinite and are of every size from pebble to
large house. They are more competent blocks of igneous material and
other things.
One is now a block of jaditeite. It possibly started its career as an
albite dyke.
Often there is a reaction zone between knocker and serpentinite.
Calcium and silica move from the knocker and magnesium from the
serpentinite.
Various minerals were found. These include red rutile, magnetite,
jadeite, large garnets, actinolite, sphene and many others.
We walked across the aromatic hillsides to the largest knocker,
gathering morsels of mineral, rock and geologic knowledge as we went.
Some of the mineral and rock knowledge took "concrete" form and proved
tiring to carry. After lunch we continued, leaving various members in
patches of shade. The highlight here was the (re)discovery of large
garnets which made all the efforts worthwhile!
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Here
is a link to all the photographs taken on Wednesday
and
Here is where they were taken.
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We then set off back to the road. Here John's car proved invaluable to
get people back up to the taverna at St M's. There we had a cooling
drink and waited on the bus. This took us home to a welcome shower.
Back to Start
Thursday -
Lawsonite Nirvana
When we got up this morning the sea looked calm but there were clouds
in the sky. Eventually we found out that our boatman did not wish to
go to Delos but that he was willing to take us from Grammata to
Finikas. So at 9:45 we set off by bus for St Michael. Chris came with
us on this occasion.
We got there and set off at about 11 on our long walk. Chris and Becky
kept stopping to look at various plants along the way. The weather was
windy and a lot cooler than yesterday.
Geologically we saw some glaucophane marbles and lawsonites.
We got to Grammatas Bay at about 1 and had lunch. Then some of the
hard core geologists set off for "Lawsonite Point" through the
trackless wastes. Meanwhile Chris, Becky and Gill set off for Grammatas Point to look for the inscriptions.
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| Where we were headed -
Grammatas Bay |
Walking to Grammatta |
Walking to Grammatta |
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| Lawsonite crystals. |
Unfinished paint job,
Grammatta |
The beach at Grammatta. |
At Lawsonite Point we found the fabled lawsonites. They are actually
pseudomorphs (although some cores may survive) and are probably
epidote and phengite. They are well shaped and large, green in colour.
They are in a matrix of lavender coloured fine glaucophane. The effect
is beautiful and wonderful. Also in the mix is reddish dolomite and
creamy marble.
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| Glo and John discuss
the rocks. |
Glaucophane and
lawsonite. |
Garnets, on the way to
the "American Beach." |
We spent a happy half hour collecting from the rock debris -
collection from the outcrop is forbidden. While there we exchanged
cheery waves with the other expedition across the bay.
Then back to base and then off towards the "American Beach" On the way
we saw lawsonite, garnets, aragonite pseudomorphs (especially in shear
zones). We met the other expedition and returned on their heels to
base camp.
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| Eclogite in marble. |
Pseudo-aragonite
crystals, growing in a stress field. |
Looking back at
Grammatas Point, from the boat. |
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Here
is a link to all the photographs taken on Thursday.
and
Here is where they were taken.
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There we took off our boots, put on sandals and awaited our boat. This
came in just before 5 and we set off through the waves to Finikas.
This was an exhilarating trip. Eileen in particular seemed to be
having the time of her life! And when we got back the boatman refused
to charge us - Wonderful!
Back to Start
Friday
When we got up the sky was cloudy and threatening. When we got down
for breakfast it had started raining and eventually the reed roof over
the dining terrace gave
way and we had to retreat inside.
The decision not to go out geologising was easily made as the heavens
opened. At 10 we had an academic session all about metamorphic
minerals and their relationships. Out of this came an offer from John
to give a Saturday course on thin sections from Syros. This was eagerly
taken-up and will be arranged for the latter half of November, assuming
nothing happens to stop it.
By 11 the skies had cleared and it was decided that we would go to
Kini by taxi and walk to Delphini. So after lunch we set off at 2.
It was quite a long walk but very interesting. We saw some boudins and
an ocean floor deposit called
coticule, first
described from Belgium. It
has red streaks of sub-microscopic garnets, black magnetite and cherty
quartz. This, apparently is evidence for a light black smoker.
Once we got to Delphini we moved on to the headland where various odd
rocks were found. These included what we thought were haematite
bearing rock but the haematites were later thought to be rutile which
interested John greatly. Large garnets also featured.
Back at Delphini, over a beer, we decided to walk back to Kini via the
coastal path. Once we had found it, this proved a very scenic and easy
path. John had never walked it before and he was very intrigued by the
geology.
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Here
is a link to all the photographs taken on Friday.
and
Here is where they were taken.
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At Kini we sat in a cafe and had a cafe frappe and got them to phone
for 4 taxis. However the message got confused and 1 taxi for 4
arrived. Once all this was sorted out we got back to Finikas in time
for a 9'o clock supper. I preceded this by proposing a toast to the
geology of Syros and to John Schumacher. All responded.
Back to Start
Saturday
After a farewell breakfast, we paid our bill to George - €436, which
is not bad for 7 days Dinner, Bed and Breakfast for 2 - plus a few
beers.
Most of the people set off at 9 in taxis and we followed them by bus
at 9:20. We got to Hermopouli a little after 10 and saw the fast ferry
boat set off, presumably with our membership safely shipped. We found
out where our boat was sailing from (Chris had got the tickets earlier in the week) and I waited while
Chris got some cash and our lunch.
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Here
is a link to all the photographs taken on Friday.
and
Here is where they were taken.
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The ferry arrived promptly. It was a real rustbucket and quite small,
but it did the job getting us to Paros in 1 hour 45 minutes. Once we
had got past the group of hotel and apartment touts, we went to a
travel agent and found out about possible ferries. Eventually we got a
ferry on Tuesday morning to Milos and an overnight ferry from Milos to
Piraeus on Friday night, getting in before 5 in the morning.
Getting to Santorini and back proved to be very difficult if not
impossible.
Back to Start
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