Geology
Mother Earth and the Womb of Time
In Greek philosophy and mythology, earth is an autogenous deity, a primordial mother, the mother of all Παμμήτωρ (Panmater). She gave birth to everything; the sky, the mountains, the oceans and the rivers, the land, the meadows, even people and animals, since they also consist of soil and water. Gaia, earth, is the one who gives birth, nourishes and sustains life but at the same time can become dangerous and threatening. She gives birth to gods that offer prosperity, but also to catastrophic monsters, like the giant Enkeladus (Earthquake), and Typhoeus (Hurricane). She herself – like everything she gives birth to – does not die but rather is reborn as everything always returns to her and simply changes form.
The personification of the earth is essentially the effort of the ancient people to interpret the various natural geological phenomena which were and still are directly related to life on the planet.
The earth’s rocks, depending on the way they were formed, are divided into three categories: igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary. The creation of these rocks is, In fact, a cycle, the petrological cycle. With the effusion or penetration of magma, comes the formation of igneous rocks. With erosion and transport by wind and water, sedimentary rocks are formed. Under special conditions of pressure and temperature, at great depths, igneous and sedimentary rocks are transformed to metamorphic rocks. When they melt, they become magma again and so on. On the surface rocks, soil is created, the living world is born and develops and after its death returns back to the earth. Marble is also a part of the petrological cycle. It is a metamorphic rock and derives from the recrystallisation of limestone.
Our Parian topos consists mainly of metamorphic rocks, gneisses, shales and marbles, igneous granites as well as newer deposits. The marbles of Paros appear, mainly, in alternating layers with gneiss and amphibolitic slates. They were originally created as sedimentary limestones at the bottom of the Tethys Sea. Millions of years later they were recrystallised, transformed and turned into marbles.
Lychnites, the white and extremely translucid parian marble, cannot be seen on the surface. It is located on the lower marble horizons, while the upper ones are not considered as good quality. Its deposits were discovered at the cave of Nymphs in Marathi, where the galleries of the ancient marble quarries are located.
As marble layers are between impermeable shales, they store water in their mass which often flows to the surface through springs. This ability of marble to create suitable conditions for underground aquifers was very important for the development of the island from ancient times until today. The erosion of the surface rocks created the deposits in the lowland and coastal areas where the arable lands later developed.
The special geology of the island is due to the fact that Paros is located in the area behind the volcanic arc of the Aegean. It is a place which is under the constant influence of tectonic events and whose geomorphology is constantly changing due to the collision of two tectonic plates. There, by sinking one below the other, rocks become magma again. The life cycle of earth and its rocks continues at a very slow pace, everything is constantly evolving without ever dying, as they are reborn just changing form, in geological time.
Geologist and Environmental Scientist
Born in Mytilini on Lesvos Island in Greece. In 2000 Birmpili obtained a degree in Geology from the University of Thessaloniki, followed by a Master in Science in Geosciences and Environment from the University of Patras, specialising in geothermal energy applications.She worked as a high school teacher in remedial teaching programs, teaching physics, chemistry, geology and biology. As a visiting tutor she was also teaching “Environmental management in infrastructure projects” at the International Hellenic University at Serres Campus in Greece. Since 2004 she has been working as a freelance geologist and environmental scientist, specialising in hydrogeological, geological, geotechnical and environmental studies and geothermal applications. In 2006 she moved to Paros island where she has been living and working ever since.
Paros Creatives 