Sabah earthquake activity remains low after 6.8 tremor, MetMalaysia says

 

Earthquake activity in Sabah remains low after a magnitude 6.8 tremor on Feb 23, the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) said. FILE PIC

KUALA LUMPUR: Earthquake activity in Sabah remains low after a magnitude 6.8 tremor on Feb 23, the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) said.

Its deputy director-general (Operations) Ambun Dindang said no aftershocks have been recorded so far, but monitoring is ongoing to detect any seismic activity in the area.

He said historical data shows most earthquakes in Sabah are weak to moderate, and the risk of a strong quake in the near future remains low.

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"However, earthquakes remain possible as they cannot be predicted in advance.

"Historical records show Ranau and Lahad Datu are the most seismically active areas in the state."

"These two districts frequently experience minor to moderate earthquakes due to local fault lines," he told Berita Harian.

Ambun said a tsunami may occur when an earthquake above magnitude 6.5 strikes at sea at a shallow depth of less than 100km.

"Additionally, a tsunami may occur if there is vertical movement on the seabed rather than horizontal faulting," he said.

"The earthquake that occurred in Sabah waters on Feb 23 was at a very deep level and did not trigger a tsunami," he said.

He said earthquake monitoring in Sabah is carried out by the Sabah Weather and Earthquake Operation Centre together with the National Weather and Earthquake Operation Centre, both operating 24 hours a day.

Real-time seismic data from a network of stations across Sabah is automatically processed by the two centres to determine key parameters such as magnitude, depth and location.

He said officers then verify the data before disseminating it to relevant agencies and the public.

Ambun said Sabah currently has 28 seismic stations as part of the national monitoring network, supported by international data from global seismological systems.

"The existing monitoring and early warning systems in Malaysia can detect earthquakes and issue tsunami warnings if necessary," he said.

He added that under the 13th Malaysia Plan, MetMalaysia plans to increase the number of seismic sensors, upgrade monitoring technology, strengthen international cooperation and enhance local expertise. - NST