North Cyprus Geography and Geology

North Cyprus Geography and Geology

In the Cretaceous period of the Mesozoic Age, about a hundred million years ago, what is now Europe was almost entirely covered by a vast and very deep sea. Countless evolving creatures lived in this ocean, and over lengthy periods of time deposited their shells and bones on its bed. This residue formed a fine ooze which was subjected to such great and continuing pressure that it was converted into chalk and limestone. Where in addition the limestone met with great heat resulting from internal upheaval, the end product was marble. Throughout the geological history of the earth its crust has cracked and crumbled under the huge strain of the cooling process. In accordance with the laws of nature, titanic damage occurred at the weakest spots - the geological faults. The ocean which extended across what is now land was one huge area of weakness, loaded unbearably by the accumulated weight of deposits by marine animals, and crushed simultaneously by the great land masses to north and to south. The outcome was that the floor of the ocean crumpled into folds, some of which emerged above the level of the sea. These were the Alps, the Carpathians, the Himalayas and the Atlas Mountains. During the ages when these dramatic changes were taking place the ocean bed of the eastern Mediterranean cracked under the strain, and masses of molten rock broke through, to become islands, of which North Cyprus is one. The new land masses were composed of igneous material overlaid by strata of limestone, sandstone and clay which had previously formed the bed of the sea. In the case of North Cyprus, there were at first two land masses separated by a shallow sea which was to become the fertile plain of the Mesaoria. The chief range, now known as the Troodos Mountains, was especially vulnerable to the elements. The sedimentary cap of rock from the sea-bed disintegrated and was washed away, so that the igneous rock became exposed. One effect has been that the Troodos range contains most of the accessible mineral wealth of the island: copper, asbestos, pyrites, other ores and their byproducts, which have for thousands of years been of prime importance in the economy of Cyprus and North Cyprus. The formations of the
or Northern range are distinct, as can be seen at a glance. The igneous rock was thrust upwards in the same way, but due to less exposure to wind, rain and frost, and to the lower altitude, the sedimentary limestone has remained as a protective covering. This forms the crags, the embattled peaks, which make these mountains more spectacular than the major, southern group. The rivers are dry in summer and early autumn, except as the result of some freak storm. After rain, as much water as possible is stored in reservoirs, and prevented from reaching the natural outlets to the sea.

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