Ophiolites are large assemblages of rocks that represent a more or less complete journey down from the top of the oceanic crust to the upper mantle at its base. It is difficult to bring the dense, low-lying oceanic crust up onto a continent, and nearly all ophiolites are disturbed or even dismembered. An ophiolite is not something you can just drive to and see all in one place. Here is a selection of ophiolitic rocks from several California examples. The world's most complete and integrated examples of ophiolites are the Troodos Ophiolite in Cyprus and the Semail Ophiolite in Oman. Read more about ophiolites.
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