Geological Survey Department

The Geological Survey Department was founded in 1950 as a specialized section of the Department of Lands and Surveys with a mandate to assist the Government in geological matters, at the time mainly connected to mineral wealth research and elementary studies of underground waters.

The main activity in the first years was the classic geological mapping. Distinguished geologists gradually established a clear substrate of the geological structure of the island, recognizing the lithological sequence and the mode of creation of the Igneous Troodos Complex, a well-preserved fragment of the oceanic crust. In 1955 the Geological Survey Department became an autonomous Department. After the Islands’ Independence in 1960, it was placed administratively under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The exploration of the mineral wealth and the geological mapping remained the main fields of activity of the Department supported by a well-equipped geochemical laboratory and draughtsman section. The reduction however of the mineral wealth reserves and the needs of a fast developing economy of the newly established Cyprus Republic made necessary the multisectioning of the Department.

At the end of the 1960’s, the Department was placed at the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources with a wider mandate, placing under its jurisdiction hydrological and geotechnical research as well as the Mathiatis seismological station, which was later upgraded to a complete seismological network. Via a successful U.N. programme (UNDP) that was completed in 1969, the mineral wealth and underground water resources were identified and appraised. During the last 30 years the Department is adjusting to the needs of the country, modifying accordingly its fields of interest to matters that relate to seismology and seismic risk, the protection of the buildup environment, the research and development of industrial ores and environmental geology are some of the main fields of its activity.

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