ARSF project MC04/31: Modelling landslide processes and associated geohazards in seismically active SW Cyprus: a potential NERC community site for applied landslide geohazard research & training. PI: Kevin Northmore. Site: Paphos.

SW Cyprus is of one the most landslide-prone regions in the Mediterranean, with a wide variety of active trigger mechanisms, movement types, slope movement mechanisms and hill-slope evolution taking place in a relatively small, well-exposed area. The acquisition of a suite of state-of-the-art remote sensing data for this area by the ARSF was requested in order to support analysis of landslide morphology and its relationship to lithology and soils, and subsequently improve understanding of landslide mechanisms and landscape evolution in areas of active slope processes. Such understanding may subsequently be applied to similar, but more degraded and vegetated, mass movement features and slope processes in the UK over which ARSF may also be acquire data.

The area is potentially a NERC 'Community Site' for applied landslide hazard research and training, and was initially used within the BGS to promote training in remote sensing techniques applicable to the identification and delineation of mass movements in complex terrain. The training will help earth scientists recognise, identify and classify the variety of slope movements present and learn new, rapid landslide hazard mapping methods.