Seismic hazard assessment (SHA) in Sabah using the international monitoring system (IMS) data of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO): The preliminary findings

Abstract

Sabah is the most seismically active state in Malaysia where it has recorded higher number of moderate seismological activities for the past decades, as compared to other states in the country. The seismicity map of Sabah shows the presence of two zones of distinctive seismicity, which are Ranau in Kota Kinabalu and Lahad Datu in the southeast of Sabah. The International Monitoring System (IMS) network setup by the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) has successfully detected seismic events occurred in Sabah for the past decades. This paper aims at presenting the preliminary findings of seismic hazard assessment (SHA) in Sabah using the IMS data. This study utilised seismic data from the CTBTO International Data Centre and then analysed to identify the related seismicity parameters including magnitude, depth, and intensity. The Extreme Value Distribution Type-I has been applied to evaluate the maximum magnitude data, where the results of analysis have enabled the quantification of seismic hazard in Sabah in terms of recurrence periods and probabilities of occurrence of earthquake at any given magnitude. Consequently, the findings from this study could be to assess the impact of seismic events in Sabah as well as assist relevant entities in development planning and disaster management.