A cache by _Gobber_ Message this owner

Hidden : 8/23/2025

Difficulty:

Terrain:

Size: Size: other (other)

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Geocache Description:

Tasks:
1. At the "Photo" waypoint, take a photo of yourself or a personal item with the chalk cliff in the water as a background. Make sure the lava outcrop is not visible in the photo.
2. Look closely at the outcrop at the listed coordinates. Describe the structure and shape of the lava at the outcrop in your own words. Which of the four lava morphologies listed below does the outcrop belong to?
3. Did the lava solidify underwater or above water?

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Geology of Cyprus: Mamonia Terrane and Limestone

The southern edge of the Anatolian Plate collides with the African Plate, leading to the uplift of the Cyprus Arc and Cyprus itself. From the parking area (1), you have a spectacular view of Petra tou Romiou (Rock of Aphrodite). This rock and the rock in front of the "Lava" waypoint are composed of light-colored limestone, which were once small carbonate reefs on a volcanic island. The Lava waypoint has two layers. The lower layer is lava. Above it lies a layer belonging to the Mamonia lithology (Upper Triassic).

Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a fracture in the crust, on land or underwater, usually at temperatures from 800 to 1,200 °C (1,470 to 2,190 °F). The volcanic rock resulting from subsequent cooling is often also called lava.

Lava morphology

The morphology of lava describes its surface form or texture. More fluid basaltic lava flows tend to form flat sheet-like bodies, whereas viscous rhyolite lava flows form knobbly, blocky masses of rock. Lava erupted underwater has its own distinctive characteristics.

There are three typical forms of lava flow on land and one form that occurs when lava flows underwater. These four forms are described below:

ʻAʻā

ʻAʻā is basaltic lava characterized by a rough or rubbly surface composed of broken lava blocks called clinker. The word is Hawaiian meaning "stony rough lava", but also to "burn" or "blaze"; it was introduced as a technical term in geology by Clarence Dutton. The loose, broken, and sharp, spiny surface of an ʻa ow makes hiking difficult and slow. The clinkery surface actually covers a massive dense core, which is the most active part of the flow. As pasty lava in the core travels downslope, the clinkers are carried along at the surface. At the leading edge of an ʻaʻā flow, however, these cooled fragments tumble down the steep front and are buried by the advancing flow. This produces a layer of lava fragments both at the bottom and top of an ʻaʻā flow.

Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1996230

Pāhoehoe

Pāhoehoe (also spelled pahoehoe, from Hawaiian [paːˈhoweˈhowe] meaning "smooth, unbroken lava") is basaltic lava that has a smooth, billowy, undulating, or ropy surface. These surface features are due to the movement of very fluid lava under a congealing surface crust. The Hawaiian word was introduced as a technical term in geology by Clarence Dutton. A pāhoehoe flow typically advances as a series of small lobes and toes that continually break out from a cooled crust. It also forms lava tubes where the minimal heat loss maintains a low viscosity. The surface texture of pāhoehoe flows varies widely, displaying all kinds of bizarre shapes often referred to as lava sculpture. With increasing distance from the source, pāhoehoe flows may change into ʻaʻā flows in response to heat loss and consequent increase in viscosity.

Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=700082

Block lava flows

Block lava flows are typical of andesitic lavas from stratovolcanoes. They behave in a similar manner to ʻaʻā flows but their more viscous nature causes the surface to be covered in smooth-sided angular fragments (blocks) of solidified lava instead of clinkers. As with ʻaʻā flows, the molten interior of the flow, which is kept insulated by the solidified blocky surface, advances over the rubble that falls off the flow front. They also move much more slowly downhill and are thicker in depth than ʻaʻā flows.

CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=91206098

Pillow lava

Pillow lava is the lava structure typically formed when lava emerges from an underwater volcanic vent or subglacial volcano or a lava flow enters the ocean. The viscous lava gains a solid crust on contact with the water, and this crust cracks and oozes additional large blobs or "pillows" as more lava emerges from the advancing flow. Since water covers the majority of Earth's surface and most volcanoes are situated near or under bodies of water, pillow lava is very common.

Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=13987646

Please note that the guidelines allow for a photo request. Logs without a photo may therefore be deleted. Once you have answered the questions via messenger, you are welcome to log immediately.

Have fun!