Geologists at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) have rejected claims that seismic events are behind recent land-level shifts along Sabah’s west coast. The team notes that while the area sees regular minor to moderate tremors tied to the Sunda megathrust and local fault systems, these earthquakes lack the magnitude and depth necessary to trigger substantial ground subsidence.

Rather, the researchers attribute detectable ground settlement mainly to anthropogenic influences, particularly in and around the Kota Kinabalu metropolitan zone. Their main observations include:

• Groundwater extraction: Excessive pumping from subterranean aquifers lowers pore pressure in coastal soils, leading to compaction and gradual surface settlement.
• Urban development: The mass of new structures, highways and other built environments exerts pressure on underlying sediments, amplifying incremental land-level decline.
• InSAR monitoring: Satellite Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar observations from 2007 to 2020 indicate subsidence rates in some Kota Kinabalu sectors averaging roughly 2.7 to 10 millimetres annually.

UMS specialists caution that if these patterns persist without intervention, certain coastal lowlands may experience cumulative settling amounting to several tens of centimetres in the next few decades. Their recommendations include:

1. Enforce tighter regulations on groundwater extraction via licensing and usage limits.
2. Broaden InSAR monitoring and deploy additional GPS receivers for real-time land surface tracking.
3. Educate the public on subsidence threats and encourage water-saving practices.

Tackling these anthropogenic triggers—instead of attributing land lowering to natural seismicity—enables authorities to protect Sabah’s coastal settlements and infrastructure more effectively against progressive subsidence risks.

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🔗 Useful Resources

• Current Properties for Sale in Miri
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• Miri Property Agents
• Malaysia Property Guides & Tips

Note: This article was automatically sourced from reliable news outlets. Data serve general reference purposes and should be cross-checked with licensed agents or official developers for confirmation of project specifics, pricing, and investment choices.