Nowhere else in the world is plate tectonic history better exposed than in the eastern-Mediterranean geological jewel of Cyprus. This volume, part of the Classic Geology series, will appeal to student, amateur, and professional Earth scientists, and to tourists interested in the geology and natural environment of a very popular holiday destination.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1905 edition. Excerpt: ... Ostrea cochlear, Poli. Hinnites crispus, Bronn. Virleti, Desh. 2. Newer Pliocene. The dominant member of this group has been described as "calcaire grossier" by Gaudry, meaning, doubtless, that it is a rough shelly limestone like that of Eocene age near Paris. Mr. Eussell has used the latifrons, Desh. Boblayi, Desh. Dubuissoni, Defr. Balanus tintinnabulum, Lam. names "Kyrenia Rock" and "Nicosia Beds" for the particular sandstones that are quarried near these two places; and it may hereafter be found convenient to use the term "Nicosian" as a general designation for the newer Pliocene of Cyprus. This group of beds covers the greater part of the Messorian plain from the Bay of Morphou on the west to that of Famagusta on the east. Thence it spreads southward to Cape Pyla and Larnaca Bay. There are also considerable areas in the Akrotiri promontory and near Ktima. The group comprises a variable set of deposits including pebbly sands or conglomerates, yellow calcareous sands and sandstones, glauconitic sands, yellowish shelly limestones, and dark-coloured marly limestone. Of all these the most conspicuous and prevalent are the shelly limestones, which consist almost entirely of organic debris--small worn fragments of shells and other marine organisms, with a small percentage of fine quartz-sand; the whole is really a shell-sand, more or less compacted by infiltrated carbonate of lime. The rock thus formed is sometimes soft and friable, soiling the hands, sometimes hard and durable, so as to form an excellent building-stone. In colour this stone varies from a light yellow to a reddish-brown. With respect to thickness, this set of beds seems to vary from 50 to 130 feet, and may be more in...