Earthquakes in Cyprus

The Editorial Team of The Cyprus Informer has noticed that a number of people have been searching for information on earthquakes in Cyprus.

This article has been compiled from a wide number of public authorities in Cyprus, including the Geological Survey Department, GSD, the Ministry of the Interior, archived Press Reports, the summaries from scientific papers and articles already published by the Informer.

The house construction method in Cyprus is called gravity designed reinforced concrete frame building with unreinforced masonry infill walls. Most houses are constructed with a reinforced concrete skeleton to provide protection against earthquakes with mandatory earthquake specifications – foundations designed in strict accordance with detailed geo-technical land survey. The civil engineer calculates the amount of steel and reinforced concrete needed for the skeleton and also the exact specifications such as the diameter of the steel and the locations of concrete pillars within the building.

The GSD has now supplied a range of information, including geological hazard maps, to the local Planning Departments in Cyprus.  So if you are thinking about buying land, do make an appointment at the local Planning Authority to get information of the geology of the site, which will take into account earthquake activity and the prescence of fault lines and other undesirable rock and soil formations that are unsuitable for building.

So why should you think about earthquakes in Cyprus?

Cyprus lies in second most earthquake stricken zone on earth. Luckily for Cyprus it is located in a less active sector of this zone, and it experiences earthquakes less frequently and of a lower magnitude than that of Greece and Turkey. However, that does not mean that earthquakes are an isolated event. Throughout the year there are many recorded events (tremors) that while might go unnoticed by the population are still recorded by the sensors on the island. The most notable seismic threat for Cyprus probably comes from what is known as the Cyprian Arc.

The Cyprian Arc is described as being one of the least understood parts of the Alpine Himalayan tectonic belt. This could actually be referred to as an inverse arc since it almost looks like a soup bowl that holds Cyprus. It is one of the least understood geological features since even the location of the arc has not been accepted yet. While there is a large following that believe that is passes off the coast of Cyprus there has also been some research indicating that it may pass through Cyprus. While it is believed that an evacuation would be impossible due to the closeness of the arc there are seismic sensors in Cyprus that monitor local events.

These sensors in Cyprus form a seismic network that consists of 7 seismic stations, 2 relay stations and 29 accelerometer stations. The Headquarters which is located in Nicosia at the Geological Survey building serves as the recording station.

According to the Government about 500 local events and 100 regional earthquakes are recorded each year. In the history of the island there have actually been a few strong earthquakes that have managed to destroy some of the islands cities.

Throughout its long history, Cyprus has suffered great destructions from earthquakes and all its historical towns have been ruined, partially ruined or heavily damaged from seismic activity. Some of its ancient cities and settlements even vanished and ceased to exist after such historical destructions.

During the last hundred years, the monitoring of data of seismic activity and its consequences, confirm past historical references. The earthquakes of 1898, 1923, 1953 and the most recent of 1995, 1996 and 1999, have caused great material destruction and human losses. At the same time, they provide a serious reminder and warning to our society of the island’s vulnerability to such physical phenomena.

How bad can it get?

Here are Press Reports from 1953 and 1996.

1953: Earthquake in Cyprus
 
LIMASSOL, Cyprus: Violent earthquakes shook parts of this island into a scene of death and destruction today [Sept. 10], and the British Mediterranean Fleet broke off manoeuvers to rush aid. An official communiqué reported that about 40 people were dead and about 100 seriously injured. Thousands were homeless. Villages were reported shaken down by the quakes in the Paphos district. Altogether, some 135 villages in the district were hit by the tremors, the worst in the modern history of the island. Waves caused by earthquakes tend to be very high near the beaches. The writer was on board a ship outside Paphos on 10th September 1953, when an earthquake and subsequent tremors caused damage to the buildings on land and the huge ship was lifted up by the waves at sea.

Nicosia, Oct 12 1996, Aftershock activity continues

A total of 78 aftershocks were registered by the Cyprus Seismological Station. The aftershocks measured between 3 to 4.5 on the Richter scale, according to a press release of the Geological Survey Department.

”The development of the afteshock activity is described as normal”, it said.

A strong earthquake measuring 6,1 on the Richter scale hit this East Mediterranean island on Wednesday afternoon, slightly injuring some 50 people and causing extensive damage to buildings mainly in the coastal towns of Paphos and Limassol. The epicentre was some 50 kilometres south west of Paphos.

Hundreds of aftershocks were recorded, measuring up to 5,5 on the Richter scale.

Experts from Greece are currently in Cyprus to study this phenomenon.

On February 23, 1995, an earthquake measuring 5,2 on the Richter scale rocked western Cyprus, killing two people. Many houses were collapsed.

Cyprus is located in the second major earthquake zone in the world, experiencing many but slight earthquakes in the past.

A total of 67 people were killed by earthquakes in the last 100 years.

The following day of Wednesday’s earthquake Cyprus was hit by torrential rain, hail and strong winds, causing havoc in the districts of Limassol, and Paphos.

Over 50 cars were trapped on flooded roads while some 1.000 cypress trees, west of Limassol, were felled by strong winds.

Army, police, fire brigade and civil defence volunteers rushed to the area to help trapped motorists.

In Paphos area, crops were completely destroyed by walnut-size hailstones.

Representatives of government services visited the affected areas to estimate the extent of the damage.

Could there be a Tsunami?

Some of the strong earthquakes were associated by tsunami waves, the most important of them being the 92BC, 551AD, 1034, 1068,1202, 1222, 1303, 1546 and 1759 ones. In more recent times, slight sea waves were caused on the coasts of Israel and Cyprus by the earthquakes of 18 June 1949 and 10 September 1953, respectively.
Plastic money has brought us convenience as well as menace.

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