The 2016 IGCP-649 Workshop will take place on May 14-20, 2016 in Cyprus to investigate and discuss the origin of the world-famous Troodos ophiolite.  Troodos is unique among the ophiolites of the world for its complete lithologic sequence, its structural integrity, its excellent exposures and its ease of access.  It is one of the most studied ophiolites in the world and served as the model for the Penrose definition of ophiolites. Its original tectonic setting was the subject of much debate in the 1970s and early 1980s, which led to a general consensus that the Troodos Massif is a type example of the Supra-Subduction Zone (SSZ) class of ophiolites with a likely origin by slab rollback immediately following subduction initiation. The Troodos Massif is also famous for its copper deposits, which have been mined since Roman times, and for its smaller chromitite mines. In a very real sense, Troodos provides the lifeblood of Cyprus – the rain and snow pack that collects on Mt. Olympus recharges the aquifers, without which agriculture would not be possible.

This workshop is supported by the IGCP-649 project “Diamonds and Recycled Mantle”. In 2015 CARMA (Center for Advanced Research on the Mantle) was awarded a new IGCP (International Geosciences Program) grant sponsored by UNESCO and IUGS, in support of our current work on ultrahigh pressure and highly reduced minerals in ophiolitic peridotites and chromitites. The project will undertake systematic sampling of peridotites-chromitites in ophiolites around the world with diverse ranges of ages and geochemical affinities in order to document, and explain, the extent of diamond occurrences in the mantle. This IGCP project provides support for a series of international workshops that will bring together students, young professionals and established researchers to discuss and to evaluate some of the most significant scientific problems and questions pertaining to the composition and dynamics of Earth’s mantle. This is the second such workshop, following the successful excursion to the Qilian Mountains in 2015.