MALAYSIA TO INSTALL 20 NEW SEISMIC STATIONs, 7 IN SABAH BY THE END OF THE YEAR

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - There are forty four seismic stations to detect earthquake tremors nationwide including eight in Sabah.

Malaysian Meteorological Department director-general Datuk Che Gayah Ismail said 20 more new seismic stations including seven in Sabah would be set up throughout the country by year end. 
"Currently, Sabah has two strong motion seismic stations in Ranau and Lembah Danum while six weak motion seismic stations are located in Sandakan, Kudat, Kota Kinabalu, Sepulut, Tawau and Lahad Datu," she told Bernama here.

Among the new seismic stations to be set up in Sabah, four strong motion seismic stations will be located in Keningau, Sandakan, Kota Belud and Kota Kinabalu while three weak motion seismic stations will be in Ranau, Semporna and Lembah Danum. 

Meanwhile, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) geologist Associate Prof Dr Tajul Anuar Jamaluddin said terrestrial seismic stations could detect and measure the magnitude of any earthquake tremors in a certain area. 

The station is capable of detecting shocks caused by seismic waves on the earth's crust.

On Friday, a moderate earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale in Ranau which had its epicentre 16 km northwest of the town was felt in many places in the state including Tambunan, Tuaran, Kota Kinabalu and Kota Belud. 

Tajul Anuar said the seismic stations could also detect the epicentre of an earthquake from the wave speeds detected by at least three seismic stations. 

However, he said at the moment there was no equipment or system in the world which could forecast the occurrence of an earthquake.

-- BERNAMA