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A seismological network of 10 portable analogue stations was installed in the area of Heraklion (central Crete) from September to December 1995. During this period, more than 1000 events were recorded by at least 4 stations with magnitudes ranging from 0.5 to 4.6 and depths up to 70 km. Analysis of 336 well located events revealed high seismic activity. In the onshore area seismicity is shallow (<20 km) and concentrated along the eastern margin of the Heraklion Basin and in the Messara graben to the south. Seismicity decreases rapidly from east to west, with practically no events located along the western boundary of Heraklion Basin. Epicenter distribution indicates that microseismicity is closely associated to the tectonics of the region. Significant seismic activity was also observed in the southern offshore area, restricted north of the Hellenic Trench and related to the subduction process. The determination of different types of focal mechanisms in the area indicates that the investigated region is characterized by complex tectonics related to the southward subduction of the African plate and the northward extension of the Aegean lithosphere.

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Earthquake shaking can trigger a large number of landslides in hilly or mountainous areas, considerably aggravating the impact of the seismic event in terms of overall damage and loss of life. Thus, the delineation of slope areas that have a significant probability of failing under future seismic action appears imperative for disaster mitigation. In the present study, we follow a time probabilistic approach for the evaluation of earthquake-induced landslide hazard in Greece through the estimation of the minimum resistance required for slopes to remain within a prefixed value of exceedance probability of failure. Taking into account the characteristics of seismicity affecting Greece, we constructed maps representing the spatial distribution of critical acceleration values that imply a 10% probability that Newmark's displacement will exceed significant thresholds in a time interval of 50 years. These maps provide the spatial distribution of the strength demand required for slopes to resist failures under the action of the regional seismicity. Such maps allow an assessment of whether particular slopes have a significant failure probability by comparing the strength demand estimated at the location of the slope with its actual critical acceleration calculated from slope material properties and slope angle. To exemplify the possible use of these strength demand maps in local hazard estimates, we compare, within a GIS framework, the critical acceleration values obtained by the application of the time probabilistic approach with actual in situ critical acceleration values for a coastal area of the Western Gulf of Corinth.