The Largest Scientific GNSS Station and Corner Reflector Array in Cyprus
What is CyCLOPS?
CyCLOPS — the Cyprus Continuously Operating Natural Hazards Monitoring and Prevention System — is the geodetic and Earth Observation research infrastructure that provides the observational backbone of CyGOS, Cyprus’s internationally recognized geohazard observatory. It combines permanent and mobile GNSS stations, calibration-grade SAR corner reflectors, weather stations, and tiltmeters into a single, integrated multi-sensor network monitoring Solid Earth processes and geohazards across Cyprus and the broader Eastern Mediterranean.
CyCLOPS was established through the original CyCLOPS project (RIF/INFRASTRUCTURES/1216/0050), co-financed by the European Union Regional Fund and the Republic of Cyprus through the Research & Innovation Foundation, and substantially augmented under the CyCLOPS+ project — see Funding below.
CyCLOPS is comprised of two components: the array of sensors, called the Multiparametric Network (MPN), and the Operations Centre (OC).
The CyCLOPS MPN
The CyCLOPS MPN consists of two segments: the Permanent Segment (PS) and the Mobile Segment (MS).
The Permanent Segment (PS)
The permanent segment currently numbers 12 sites. In six of them GNSS permanent 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 for establishing 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.
The six original stations: AKMS (Akamas, Paphos), ALEV (Alevga, Nicosia), SOUN (Souni, Limassol), ASGA (Asgata, Limassol), MATS (Mathiatis, Nicosia), TROU (Troulloi, Larnaca).
The five new CyCLOPS+ stations (2026): MAIA (Mamonia, Paphos, with a new Electronic Corner Reflector), MAXI (Ayia Marina Xyliatos, Nicosia, with a new Electronic Corner Reflector), TERF (Tersefanou, Larnaca), TROD (Troodos/Chionistra), and GREC (Cavo Greco, Famagusta) — the network’s first station in the Famagusta district, extending coverage to the far east of the government-controlled areas.
GNSS enables the determination of deformation at the mm level. To achieve this accuracy, stations are aligned with the most stringent standards for Tier-1/2 permanent GNSS stations, with particular attention to sensor monumentation: the UNAVCO shallow-drilled braced quadpod, and a specifically designed stainless-steel truss achieving submillimetric vibration at wind speeds up to 140 km/h. Both monument types are anchored to solid bedrock.
The network’s 12 calibration-grade SAR Corner Reflectors are designed for flexibility in orientation (elevation -10º to 45º, azimuth 0-359º) to support current and future SAR missions, and their manufacturing quality supports Calibration and Validation (Cal/Val) activities. Their scattering condition is continuously monitored by the CyCLOPS team.
CUTX — integrated GNSS + tide gauge. A specialised permanent station at Limassol Old Port co-locates a GNSS receiver with a tide gauge, processed together with the rest of the network. This ties sea-level measurements to the terrestrial reference frame, separating genuine sea-level change from vertical land motion at the coast, and contributes to the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO sea-level monitoring network.
Our Corner Reflectors appear as very bright spots (persistent scatterers) in radar acquisitions and can be used to accurately monitor deformation, especially in rural areas. The design of our 12 SAR Corner Reflectors, installed at the PS sites, enables flexibility in their orientation in terms of elevation and azimuth 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, the CyCLOPS team continuously monitors and assesses their scattering performance. 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 permanent segment. Their monumentation has been designed 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 mobile station deployments follow:
The Operation Center (OC)
The OC comprises the required IT infrastructure to achieve increased computing performance, adequate storage, and system availability. Therefore, a virtualized, highly compartmentalized IT architecture is implemented at the Cyprus University of Technology Data Center. The overall system is designed with the utmost objective of the uninterrupted operation of all modules without internal interference or interdependence. Therefore, each operation (module) is assigned to a dedicated virtual machine (VM) or container. The software that handles GNSS station operations and stores incoming information (GNSS, weather station, and tiltmeter observations) is Trimble® Pivot Platform (TPP). Through TPP, CyCLOPS also provides single-base and network RTK services. Consequently, the unit will augment and improve the accuracy and reliability of the national GNSS infrastructure. Moreover, a separate, fully automated post-processing pipeline was installed on a different module, based on Bernese GNSS 5.4 and customized and augmented with in-house-developed software and services. 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.
From Infrastructure to Observatory
CyCLOPS provides the observations. CyGOS, Cyprus’s internationally recognised geohazard observatory and a Permanent Supersite of the GEO Geohazard Supersites and Natural Laboratories initiative, integrates them — and delivers operational services, including CyGMS and TerraMotion, that turn continuous observation into information authorities and industry can act on.
What CyCLOPS makes possible
- Integrated space-based monitoring of geohazards — combining GNSS and SAR for country-wide ground displacement estimation at high accuracy and resolution.
- Geohazard preparedness and prevention — bridging space-based and traditional geological/geotechnical input to support the CyGOS Early Warning System, with both localized and country-wide products.
- A stronger national GNSS network — CyCLOPS augments the national GNSS infrastructure, enhancing its accuracy and integrity.
- EU research infrastructure and open science — the permanent network contributes data and products to European Strategic Infrastructure initiatives, including the European Plate Observing System (EPOS) and the EUREF Permanent Network (EPN).
- A Cal/Val site for Earth Observation — the co-located GNSS, weather-station and SAR corner-reflector configuration renders Cyprus a calibration and validation site for current and future EO space missions.
- National synergies — active collaboration with the Geological Survey Department and other government agencies, contributing to geodynamic/ geotechnical operations and the national spatial data infrastructure.
- Local industry links — targeted workshops and improved positioning services for local industry and SMEs working in Earth sciences.
Funding
The original CyCLOPS infrastructure (RIF/INFRASTRUCTURES/1216/0050) was co-financed by the European Union Regional Fund and the Republic of Cyprus through the Research Promotion Foundation. Its augmentation — five new permanent stations, the Operations Centre upgrade and CyGMS — was delivered through the CyCLOPS+ project (Cyprus Ground Motion Service, SMALL SCALE INFRASTRUCTURES/1222/0082), implemented under the THALIA 2021–2027 programme of the Research and Innovation Foundation (RIF), co-funded by the European Union.
