Mt Kinabalu may have lost some height
Published on: Wednesday, July 01, 2015
Kota Kinabalu: The continuous, even though minor, aftershocks made it difficult to gauge whether Mount Kinabalu is still safe for trekkers and travellers, said Universiti Malaysia Sabah's (UMS) Natural Disaster Research unit chief Prof Dr Felix Tongkul, Tuesday.Speaking at a briefing on the matter, he also said that Kinabalu may have "broken her leg" as a result of the June 5 earthquake.It may have caused a slight reduction in the mountain's height (a negligible few centimetres). However, this has to be verified by the Survey and Mapping Department (Jupem).
ADVERTISEMENT
Felix forwarded the normal fault model to describe the earth movement triggered by the main tremor that left near vertical cracks to the seven-million-year-old granite mountain. He said the cracks which were also found near Kg Mesilou as well as on the grounds of Kg Kiau, resembled a north east-south west pattern.The fault lines (or cracks) made the mountain unstable, as it cut the stem beneath the granite formation that has a mushroom-like feature, added by the weight and the height of the structure. Besides, the initial quake took place beneath the Crocker formation right below the mountain.But, he added, some of these lines may not be apparent on the surface due to the relatively moderate quake experienced.
ADVERTISEMENT
Felix also explained that the numerous aftershocks faced by the people in the region, including Tuaran, Kota Belud, Kundasang, Ranau as well as the mountain were induced by the fault lines, that reached up to 32km below the earth across the region.Asked about his view on geo seismic-hazard mapping, he said the State's Geoscience and Mineral Department had already implemented the step.
ADVERTISEMENT
However, it is not actively done, likewise the geo seismic studies.Prof Dr Kawi Bidin and Dr Moh Pak Yan spoke on the landslide and irrigation effects, as well as the quality of the rivers affected by the quake, respectively.According to Dr Moh, the major rivers which were assessed based on the national water standards remained safe.The factors assessed for water quality included the temperature, pH level, amount of dissolved oxygen as well as the turbidity, for the sample to be declared safe (above 2A in a scale of 1 to 5).Sg Panataran in Kg Melangkap, Sg Kedamaian in Kg Bundu Paka, Sg Kadamaian in Kg. Kiau, Sg Mesilou of Kg Mesilou, Sg Mamut in Bekas Lombong Mamut and Sg Mamut in Poring and Poring Hot Water Spring were among the catchments tested.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
Daily Express Malaysia
