PETALING JAYA: Aftershocks may continue happening in Johor until all the energy along the fault line is fully released said the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia).
Speaking on the recent spate of tremors in the Southern state, MetMalaysia director-general Dr Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip said the tremors may have happened along the ancient Mersing fault line.
“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.
“Aftershocks will usually ease once the site reaches equilibrium,” he told The Star.
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.
According to Mohd Hisham, Johor has not experienced any earthquakes since 1874, prior to the recent tremors.
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.
Mohd Hisham assured that 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.
