The geotechnical aspects of three earthquakes that struck the city of Thessaloniki, Greece, on May 25, June 20 and July 4, 1978 are presented. General background information on the observed damage, seismic history and geology of the area is followed by detailed description of soil profiles, structural characteristics and accelerograms of ground motions recorded at three sites. Acceleration spectra are then examined and compared in order to assess the degree to which local and regional geology and soil-structure interaction affected the recorded motion. Finally, the possibility of liquefaction having taken place in a 6 m-thick saturated loose layer of silty sand, under the monumental \u27White Tower\u27, is investigated. Conclusions are drawn in the light of the current state-of-art of assessing liquefaction potential of soils
