CyCLOPS is comprised of two components; (a) the array of sensors, called the Multiparametric Network (MPN), and (b) the Operations Center (OC).

The MPN consists of the permanent (PS) and the mobile (MS) segments.

The Permanent Segment (PS)

The permanent segment currently numbers six (6) sites, where permanent GNSS reference stations (CORS) co-locate with a pair of calibration-grade SAR Corner Reflectors (CR) in ascending and descending orientation, yielding 50% more data for processing. The CyCLOPS GNSS reference stations include state-of-the-art receivers (Trimble® Alloy) coupled with individually calibrated choke ring antennas (Trimble® GNSS Ti-v2 Choke Ring). At each site, the integrated configuration (GNSS+SAR) is further co-located with a high-precision weather station (Vaisala PTU307) and a digital tiltmeter (Jewell D-711-A-S). Furthermore, in most cases, there is additional co-location with seismographs of the national seismological network yielding in essence supersites for geophysical and geodynamic monitoring.

GNSS enables the determination of deformation at the mm level. To achieve this accuracy, our stations had to be aligned with the most stringent standards regarding the establishment of Tier-1/2 permanent GNSS stations. Ergo, specific attention was given to sensor monumentation. Concordantly, two types of monuments were used: (a) the UNAVCO shallow-drilled braced quadpod and (b) a specifically-designed stainless-steel truss, which achieves submillimetric vibration at wind speeds up to 140km/h. Both monuments are anchored to solid bedrock.

Corner Reflectors represent very bright spots (persistent scatterers) in radar acquisitions that can be used to monitor deformation accurately, especially in rural areas. The design of the 12 SAR Corner Reflectors, installed at the PS sites, enables flexibility in their orientation in terms of elevation (-10º – 45º) and azimuth (0-359º) to support all current and future SAR missions. Moreover, their manufacturing quality and standards render them ideal for Calibration and Validation (Cal/Val) activities. Consequently, to maintain performance at the highest possible level, their scattering condition is continuously monitored and assessed by the CyCLOPS team. Their monumentation is aligned with the GNSS monumentation requirements in the sense that all CRs are anchored to solid bedrock.

The Mobile Segment (MS)

The mobile segment consists of GNSS sensors, weather stations, tiltmeters, electronic corner reflectors (ECRs), tactical-grade Unmanned Airborne Systems (UAS), and laser scanners. All these diverse technologies can be deployed in areas of interest (AoI) to determine potential deformation and estimate ground displacements. The GNSS systems, weather stations, and tiltmeters are the same as in the case of the permanent segment. Their monumentation has been designed in such a way as to enable portability without compromising stability. To date, our mobile stations have been deployed throughout Cyprus to monitor and study critical areas of interest, such as the active landslide at the Pissouri village, the Chirokitia Neolithic Settlement, and the Vassiliko Cement open-pit mine. Examples of station deployments follow:

The Operation Center (OC)

The OC comprises the necessary IT infrastructure to achieve increased computing performance, adequate storage, and system availability. Therefore, a virtualized and highly compartmentalized IT architecture is installed at the Cyprus University of Technology Data Center. The overall system is designed with the utmost objective of the uninterruptible operation of all modules without internal interfe­rence or interdependence. Therefore, each operation (module) is assigned to dedicated virtual machines (VMs) or dockers. The software that handles the operation of the GNSS stations and the storage of the incoming information (GNSS, weather station, and tiltmeter observations) is Trimble^® Pivot Platform (TPP). Through TPP, CyCLOPS also provides single-base and network RTK services. Concordantly, the unit will augment and improve the accuracy and reliability of the national GNSS infrastructure. Moreover, a separate post-processing engine was installed on a different module based on Bernese GNSS 5.4, customized and augmented by in-house developed software. Furthermore, The OC features a dedicated atmospheric monitoring service, which provides temporal information on critical measures, such as the Integrated Precipitable Water Vapor (IPWV) and Total Electron Content (TEC), the I95 index, and the predicted ionospheric and geometric errors.