Aftershocks expected to persist in Johor: MetMalaysia

PETALING JAYA - Aftershocks may continue to affect the ancient Mersing fault line until all the energy along the fault line is fully released, says the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia).

Its director-general Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip said the spate of recent tremors in southern Johor may be attributed to the fault line in question, which has yet to reach equilibrium.

“While Segamat is quite a distance from Mersing, the fault connectivity is believed to continue underground and functions as a weak zone in the earth’s crust.

“The quakes were caused by regional crustal plate pressure that disrupted the balance of the earth’s crust in Peninsular Malaysia to the point of reactiva­ting the ancient Mersing Fault Zone,” Dr Hisham told The Star, adding that “aftershocks will usually ease once the site reaches equili­brium”.

The state has experienced at least five tremors in Segamat, Johor, beginning with the first at 6.13am on Aug 24 with a magnitude of 4.1, followed by one on Aug 27 (3.2), Aug 28 (2.5), Aug 29 (3.4) and Aug 30 (2.7).

Another weak earthquake was detected near Sri Medan, Parit Sulong, Johor, on Sept 3, with a 2.9-magnitude tremor.

Before the recent tremors, Johor had not experienced any earthquakes since 1874, according to Dr Hisham. He said most tremors in the peninsula are generally a result of strong earthquakes in Sumatra, Indonesia.

He added that most earthquakes in the peninsula do not exceed a 5.0-magnitude and the risk of a major earthquake is extremely low.

Dr Hisham reiterated the department’s commitment to continue monitoring the situation and releasing information from time to time.

“The tremors in Johor were weak and are not expected to bring any major impact.

“However, the public must always stay cautious and refer to official information from the department,” he said. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK