FORUM ON SEISMIC AND TSUNAMI

HAZARDS AND RISKS STUDY IN

MALAYSIA

ASSESSMENT OF THE SEISMIC THREATS TO

MALAYSIA FROM MAJOR EARTHQUAKES
IN THE SOUTHEAST ASIAN REGION
AND
SEISMOTECTONIC MAP OF MALAYSIA AND
FAULT LINE/ZONE STUDY
By
Mineral and Geosciences
Department Malaysia
29 September 2009, PICC
PUTRAJAYA
 INTRODUCTION
Two studies were completed by JMG:
1. The Geological and
Seismotectonic Information of
Malaysia – 2006
2. Assessment of the Seismic
Threats to Malaysia from Major
Earthquakes in the SE Asian
region - 2008
SEISMOTECTONIC MAP OF
MALAYSIA (3rd EDITION)
 SEISMOTECTONIC OF SABAH
• Sabah has the most earthquakes
– 78 , from 1897-2007
– Two destructive earthquakes – in 1976 and
1991, caused substantial damage
• North-West Sabah - influenced by the
spreading and opening of the South China
Sea Basin, that ceased 17 Ma ago.
• Eastern Sabah – influenced by the Cagayan
Ridge Volcanic Arc in te NE, the Sulu Trench
and the Sulu Sea Volcanic Arc.
SEISMIC ZONES OF SABAH
• Earthquakes occurred in Sabah over a
wide area.
• Three main seismic zones which have a
high concentration of earthquake, namely:
1) the Central-North (Ranau) Zone,
2) the Labuk Bay - Sandakan Basin Zone,
and
3) the Dent - Semporna Peninsula Zone
SEISMIC ZONES OF SABAH

LABUK BAY-
CENTRAL- SANDAKAN
NORTH BASIN ZONE
ZONE

DENT-
SEMPORNA
PENINSULA
ZONE
 ACTIVE FAULT ZONES
• Crocker Fault Zone (CFZ) – extends from
Tenom in the south.
• Active and potentially active fault
segments of CFZ
– Mamut
– Mensaban,
– Lobou-Lobou,
– Nalapak and
– Parancangan Fault
 RANAU AREA
CR
OC
KE
R
FA
U LT
ZO
N E
 KUNDASANG AREA
• Recently, two active faults have
been recognized
–Lobou-Lobou Fault, left-lateral
o
strike-slip, trending N20 E
–Mensaban Faults, normal-
oblique, striking WNW-ESE
RANAU-KUNDASANG AREA

EN
ZO
ULT
FA
R
KE
OC
CR
LOBOU-LOBOU FAULT
LOBOU-LOBOU FAULT CUTTING ACROSS
THE KUNDASANG-RANAU HIGHWAY
AN ACTIVE FAULT PARALLEL TO LOBOU-LOBOU
FAULT CUTTING ACROSS SMK KUNDASANG
MENSABAN FAULT ZONE