RIDGE Field School on the Structure and Genesis of the Troodos Ophiolite, Cyprus

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A RIDGE Field School will be held in Cyprus during June, 1999 to study the field geology of the Troodos Ophiolite, a classic region of old ocean crustal rocks which can provide important insights into the structure and genesis of modern oceanic crust. The school will focus on the upper parts of ophiolite section, where seafloor volcanics and the underlying intrusive sheeted dikes and upper plutonic sections are exposed. This section also displays a record of hydrothermal alteration processes below the ancient seafloor, at both high and low temperatures. The Troodos Ophiolite is the only accessible major ophiolite to have survived not only almost undeformed, but also unmetamorphosed. As such, it provides an excellent insight into the structure and construction of the ocean crust. A visit to this unique locality is an invaluable experience for any scientist working on volcanic and hydrothermal processes at mid-ocean ridges, providing new insight into the nature of the sub-surface features that underpin those seen at the surface in active mid-ocean ridges. In the course of a 6-day field trip, the geological section can be comprehensively inspected, argued over in outcrop, and further illustrated by a few, well-targeted lectures. This format leads to a much improved understanding of crustal construction at spreading centers, for scientists at all levels, but the focus of the school will be for graduate students and early-career scientists. The field school will be lead by a group of eleven invited researchers with an expertise in the geology of the Troodos Ophiolite and/or mid-ocean ridge processes. The convenors will be Joe Cann, University of Leeds; Kathy Gillis, University of Victoria; and Costas Xenophontos, Cyprus Geological Survey Department. Logistics will be handled by the RIDGE office at Oregon State University.