1999 GPS Student Expedition to Greece and Turkey

By Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences

Thanks to the generosity of Caltech alum Mike Scott, 24 undergraduate and graduate students were able to take a two week field trip to Greece and Turkey from September 2-16, 1999. We were able to see a wide variety of very recent geologic phenomena and learn about the history and culture of these two fascinating countries.

The trip was organized by Caltech professor Kerry Sieh. We are very thankful to our local guides in Greece: Dr. Dimitris Papanastassiou (National Observatory of Athens) and Dr. Kaliopi Gaki-Papanastassiou (University of Athens); and in Turkey: Dr. Aykut Barka (Istanbul Technical University) and Dr. Erhan Altunel (Osmangazi University).

The map gives a sketch of our travels. We saw a lot in 14 days! By bus we visited the cities of Greece: Athens, Loutraki, Corinth, Sparta, Nafplio, and then back to Athens. We then flew to the volcanic island of Santorini and then took another flight to the island of Rhodes. From Rhodes, we took a hydrofoil into the Turkish city of Marmaris. We then toured the Turkish countryside by bus, visiting the cities of Miletus, Priene, Ephesos, Hieropolis, Sardis, Cesme, Pergamon, Bursa, Izmit, and finally Istanbul. (map courtesy of Leo Eisner)

Our first stop was Athens, where we visited the Acropolis (right), the site of some of the most famous architecture of the Western world. (photo by Matt Pritchard)

A short drive from Athens is the Gulf of Corinth, an example of recent extensional tectonics. Kerry Sieh (far left) stands in front of a fault scarp with slickenslides on the Perchora Peninsula, and talks about extensional faulting to (l. to r.) Edwin Schauble, Anthony Toigo (partially obscured), and Ben Weiss. (photo by Sujoy Mukhopadhyay)

Steeply inclined normal faults are exposed in the ~100m deep Corinth Canal (right). The faults are a further indication of the extensional tectonics that dominate the region around Corinth. The canal is about 6 km long and saves a 300 km trip around the Peloponnese. Emperor Nero attempted to dig the canal in 67 A.D., but it was not actually completed until 1893. (photo by Leo Eisner)

In many places in our travels through Greece and Turkey we saw the interaction between geology and civilization. In this picture our group listens to Dr. Hampik Maroukian describe the fault scarp to the left that runs right under the wall surrounding the city of Mycenae, the legendary home of Agamemmnon from the Illiad. There is evidence of rebuilding of the walls after at least one earthquake. The picture shows (l. to r.) Alexey Pankine, Dr. Hampik Maroukian, Sujoy Mukhopadhyay, Carrie Sieh, Matt Pritchard, Kerry Sieh, Sarah Stewart-Mukhopadhyay, Francis Macdonald, Yael Dubowski, Ulyana Dyudina, Mohi Kumar, Amy Barr, Ronit Kessel, Leo Eisner, Julia Goreva, Gina Buccolo, and Jing Liu. In the background is the Lion's Gate -- the entrance to the city. (photo by Liz Johnson)

After a week on the Greek mainland, we flew to the volcanic island of Santorini. The picture shows a view of the 250 m caldera wall of the island, with the layers in the wall corresponding to different eruptions, variations in composition between eruptions and/or various degrees of alteration of the rocks. The rocks at the sea-line are about 100,000 years old. The current caldera formed during the massive Minoan eruption (ca. 1500 B.C.). The eruption gave the island its current horseshoe shape and threw ash throughout the surrounding region -- leading some to speculate that it might be responsible for: (a) the fall of the Minoan civilization based in Crete; (b) the myth of Atlantis, and (c) the plague of darkness that befell the Egyptians in Exodus. The zig-zag pattern in the wall is the path up to the city of Fira at the top of the caldera wall. This picture was taken during our boat ride to Nea Kameni, a small, uninhabited volcanic island formed in the center of the caldera. (photo by Leo Eisner)

Ronit Kessel, Yael Dubowski, Sarah Milkovich, Gina Buccolo and others walk along a volcanic caldera on Nea Kameni, one of the two islands in the center of the Santorini Island group, Cyclades, Greece. After the Minoan eruption (ca. 1500 B.C.) the entire central region of the former island was blown away. Beginning in 197 B.C., vulcanism in the center of the caldera finally erupted above the surface. Subsequent eruptions have built the small island known as Nea Kameni (literally "new burnt island"). The most recent eruption at Santorini was on Nea Kameni in 1950. (photo by Liz Johnson)

This picture was taken in a quarry on the south side of the island of Santorini. The white layer is the volcanic tuff from the Minoan eruption, and is perhaps 15 m thick. Note Mohi Kumar and Edwin Schauble for scale. The tuff was extensively quarried in this region for use in making concrete for the Suez Canal. (photo by Sarah Stewart-Mukhopadhyay)

From Santorini we made a short stop on the island of Rhodes before hydrofoiling into Turkey. We visited many ancient Greek and Roman ruins in southwestern Turkey, and our guides Erhan Altunel and Aykut Barka showed us evidence for ancient earthquake damage and rebuilding at many of these sites. The picture at left shows (l. to r.) Dan Giammar, Edwin Schauble, and Dr. Aykut Barka enjoying the seats at a theatre in Priene, Turkey. In general, we found the ancient ruins to be better preserved and less crowded with tourists in Turkey than in Greece. (photo by Sujoy Mukhopadhyay)

Julia Goreva and Ronit Kessel sit on some ancient ruins in front of the imposing acropolis of Priene while enjoying the view. The ancient cities that we visited in southwestern Turkey—Miletus, Priene and Ephesos— were all once seaports and centers of economic and intellectual commerce. However, as a result of recent geologic activity, all of these cities are now abandoned and lie well inland. This area of Turkey is undergoing rapid extension and erosion. Consequently, the valleys (where the cities are located) are experiencing rapid sedimentation. It was amazing to see such drastic changes from geologic processes over the several milennia that humans have inhabited the region. (photo by Sujoy Mukhopadhyay)

Hierapolis, Turkey, has been famous since the Greek and Roman times because of the putative restorative properties of the local hot springs. The diversions of the spring water to resorts endangered the beautiful white travertine deposits, but recent efforts of preservation will prevent further damage. The wall-like structure in this picture is a massive channel(~10 m tall) formed by the hot springs of Hierapolis. Fresh deposits from the hot springs are visible in the background as white travertine. (photo by Yael Dubowski)

In Hierapolis, we saw many examples of damage that was probably caused by earthquakes. Most commonly, we observed cracks or displacements in the channels where the water from the hot springs once flowed. The picture shows an example of one such rupture with a lens cap for scale. In addition to these cracks, we also saw collapsed walls. (photo by Matt Pritchard)

We visited Izmit, Turkey, a few weeks after the devastating August 17, 1999, Mw = 7.4 earthquake. The scale of destruction and human tragedy are really beyond what words or pictures could describe. This picture shows Kerry Sieh and Alexey Pankine examining a 4.5 m offset of a wall surrounding the military base in Golcuk, one of the hardest hit areas. (photo by Leo Eisner)

The August 17, 1999, earthquake and subsequent aftershocks struck a region next to the Sea of Marmara where extensive ground failure and normal faulting submerged entire buildings. This is the Sapanca Hotel which sunk into Lake Sapanca. There is evidence for liquifaction at this site -- some subsurface sand can be found in the driveway to the hotel. The previous coastline extended perhaps 30 m beyond the right edge of the hotel. (photo by Matt Pritchard)

Turkish geologist Aykut Barka (to the left, with jeans and blue shirt), Kerry Sieh, Carrie Sieh, Francis Macdonald, Ronit Kessel, Lori Fenton, Edwin Schauble, Jing Liu, and Dan Giammar examine the "mole track" expression of a fault which ruptured during the August, 1999, earthquake in a field near Ismit, Turkey. (photo by Liz Johnson)

We spent the last day taking in the sites of Istanbul—certainly an impossible task in a single day! Shown here is the Blue Mosque, one of the beautiful sites to see in this city of 12 million people. (photo by Leo Eisner)

We spent the last evening of the trip eating dinner, enjoying the sunset, and dancing on a boat in the Straits of Bosphorus in Istanbul. Entering the boat (r. to l.) are Leo Eisner, Jing Liu, Yael Dubowski, Sarah Milkovich, Sujoy Mukhopadhyay, and Sarah Stewart-Mukhopadhyay. (photo by Dan Giammar)

Last updated: Wed Oct 10 07:05:43 -0700 2007

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