December 2013.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 81).

The broader urban area of Lefkosia was chosen for two reasons. Firstly, being the capital, it is the most populated area on the island hosting important government institutions and infrastructure. Secondly, it is an area with recent detailed bedrock, surficial, geotechnical and neotectonic data, the results of a 3-year seismic hazard assessment research study with extensive digital geological and administrative vector data. For this project, data from 20 scenes taken between November 2002 and December 2006 reveal up to 9mm/y subsidence in the southwest and up to 10 mm/y uplift in some scattered central city locations. Seasonal movements (up to 2-4mm/year) occur in the southeast. Areas with substantial movement were visited in the field and buildings were checked for failures. Possible causes for these ground movements were evaluated taking into consideration the local geological and environmental conditions of the area. Geological maps, geotechnical reports and borehole data were considered for deciding on the causes of movement. The principle factors that arose were both geological and anthropogenic. Tectonics, seasonal movements due to expanding/shrinking clays, underground cavities due to abandoned underground quarries, ancient burial tombs, and landfill reclamation especially in in-filled channels are some of the key players.