
Cross section of rocks
The field trip provides an overview of the geology of the External Hellenides thrust-fold belt. It comprises a large number of Tertiary thrusts derived from the compression of the sedimentary cover of the eastern margin of the Apulia plate.
A transverse itinerary to the general NW-SE direction of the folds and thrusts has been designated in order to demonstrate important aspects of structure, stratigraphy, source rocks, seals and reservoir rocks. We will have the opportunity to examine outcrops of the Posidonian marls, the main source rock in the area, as well as the upper Cretaceous to Eocene fractured limestone which constitutes the main reservoir rock of the Ionian zone. Oil seepages will be observed in different stratigraphic levels. Furthermore, outcrops of the pelagic upper Jurassic post rift carbonate sequence and the siliciclastic flysch and molasse deposits will be studied.
With regard to the tectonic configuration, the area has been affected by a strong thrust tectonics. We will see spectacular exposures of the main structural units, the major thrust fronts as well as other important tectonic features like the E-W trending left-lateral Petoussi fault system. Furthermore, a structural model for the evolution of this area, where deep subsurface structures are present, will be discussed in comparison with regional seismic sections.
Several visits to archaeological sites have been planned, like a visit to the Oracle of Delphi, which was revered throughout the Greek world on the site of the ‘omphalos’ stone, the centre of the earth and the universe. A visit is proposed to Monodendri Village to view Vikos gorge, one of the deepest canyons in the world in proportion to its width (900m. deep and 1100m. wide from rim to rim). Returning to Athens across the mountains to the East, a visit to Meteora is planned, where conglomeratic fans of a deltaic system have been eroded to form gigantic separated blocks. More than 24 monasteries from 14th-century were built on top, creating a unique landscape.