Hot Springs Characterisation And Geothermal Potential Study In Peninsula Malaysia From Geosciences Perspectives

Research works on the potentials of geothermal energy resources in the non-volcanic hot springs origins within the Peninsula Malaysia have not received the much-needed attention. This, therefore, serves as a major motivation to embark on the studies that focused on the Peninsula Malaysia areas to determine the relationship among the geological, geochemical and geophysical prospection methods for the suitability of these non-volcanic hot springs origins as potential locations for the development of geothermal energy. A total of 60 hot springs locations distributed throughout the Peninsula Malaysia has been identified. These hot springs locations were classified into three major groups, namely; the Western Belt Granite, Central Belt Granite and the Eastern Belt Granite groups were all plotted together. Classifications of these non-volcanic hot springs origin was made by the same distribution pattern of the granites pluton and also close to the contact zones between the different rock types. The most significant faults in the study area; i.e.; (Baubak, Kuala Lumpur, Terengganu, Bukit Tinggi, Lebir, Lepar and Mersing) played a major role in the hot water circulation systems within the water catchment areas respectively. The geochemical analysis of the hot springs waters, confirmed that all the hot springs waters belongs to the non-volcanic origin types. Quartz and chalcedony are the most appropriate geothermometers and consistent with the range of temperatures obtained when compared to the cations and anions geothermometers

The Seismic Refraction Survey to Determine the Depth of Bedrock at the Damansara Area for Horizontal Directional Drilling Method Application

The seismic reflection survey conducted along the road at Damansara to determine the depth of bedrock in order to justify whether HDD method can be utilize to store the fiber optic cable. 10 line seismic survey performed along 1.2 km roadside. The result show that the subsurface profile represent by two layer of earth materials that is topsoil and bedrock granite. Determination between topsoil and granite based on the values of seismic velocity. The boundary between granite and soil interpreted by a velocity value 1,200 m/s. If the velocity values is less than 1,200 m/s, it interpreted as soil or highly weathered rock. Meanwhile the velocity value more than 1,200 m/s is refer as rock and hard to excavate especially using HDD method. The study shows that the general thickness of topsoil along the road in Damansara is around 2.0 to 4.0 m. The minimum thickness of topsoil is 1.0 m and maximum found around 6.0 m. The bedrock observed very shallow and not suitable for HDD method to implement

Application of 2-D electrical resistivity imaging, and induced polarization methods for delineating gold mineralization at Felda Chiku 3, Kelantan, Malaysia

A geophysical survey has been carried out to assess the distribution of gold minerals at the Felda Chiku 3, Gua Musang district, Kelantan, Peninsular Malaysia. A 2-D geo-electrical resistivity imaging (ERI), combined with Induced Polarization (IP) method, and Oasis Montaj modelling were applied to delineate the potential conductive zones associated with sulphide mineralization. Most Peninsular Malaysia’s gold deposits occur in hydrothermal sulphides as discrete ore formations within the host rocks. A good correlation between the ERI and the IP profiles was observed during the interpretation of the model that successfully identifying the low resistive, and high chargeable sulphide zones, which correspond to the gold mineralization zones. The correlations could be linked to the conductive features at depth ranging from about 25 m - 135 m, trending along N-S directions. The study suggests further geo-electrical investigation to be carried out towards the south-western part of the area as more potential mineralized zones with N-S trends could be found in this region. Further studies would be able to give the extent of the gold deposits in Kelantan and by extension, allow for better informed mineral exploration and drilling operations to mine the gold in the region

Penilaian kualiti air bawah tanah di Kelantan dan Pahang, Malaysia

Air bawah tanah yang menjadi sumber kegunaan domestik kepada pengguna memerlukan penilaian air bawah tanah bagi mengelakkan berlakunya isu kesihatan. Kajian ini dijalankan untuk menilai kualiti air telaga tiub dalam aspek kandungan logam berat, bahan radioaktif semula jadi (NORM) dan bakteria patogen di Kelantan dan Pahang, Malaysia. Hasil kajian ini menunjukkan kandungan Fe (90-42100 µg/L) dan Mn (3-478 µg/L) yang diperoleh adalah tinggi dan boleh menjejaskan kualiti air secara keseluruhan. Kandungan NORM yang terkandung dalam air telaga adalah 0.02-0.08 Bq/L bagi jumlah pengaktifan Alpha dan 0.02-0.15 Bq/L bagi jumlah pengaktifan beta, yang berada di bawah paras selamat yang telah ditetapkan oleh WHO. Kandungan NORM dalam sampel tanah adalah dalam julat 401-1348 Bq/kg untuk 40K, 19-175 Bq/kg untuk 232Th dan 28-318 Bq/kg untuk 238U yang boleh diterima di Malaysia. Anggaran dos sinaran tahunan adalah antara 52 µSv/tahun hingga 379 µSv/tahun dan berada dalam julat selamat untuk orang ramai. Kesemua sampel air dari Kelantan dan dua sampel air dari Pahang mengandungi bakteria enteropatogen terutamanya Escherichia coli dan Salmonella sp. yang melebihi piawaian Kualiti Air Kebangsaan. Boleh disimpulkan bahawa kualiti air bawah tanah selamat untuk digunakan semasa kecemasan, tetapi ia perlu dirawat sebelum diminum

Characterization of a proposed quarry site using multi-electrode electrical resistivity tomography

This research focuses on the delineation of subsurface basement granitic structures suitable for engineering construction materials for the sitting of quarry industry in the area. The key objective of the study was to locate and delineate the depths of burial to the subsurface granite rock bodies and the regolith thickness overlain the bedrock unit. 14 resistivity profile lines with a surveyed length of 200 m and electrode spacing of 5 m, were carried out with the application of electrical resistivity tomography software, to image the subsurface structural units around this area, utilizing pole-dipole electrode configurations method towards assisting the Engineers in obtaining information on the subsurface geological features in this part of the Peninsula Malaysia. The focus is on characterizing engineering construction materials suitable for sitting the quarry industry, determination of the longitudinal conductance and coefficient of anisotropy of subsurface lithological units that determines the competency of the bedrock underneath the area from the geoelectric parameters obtained through the interpretations of the RES2DINV ERT images. The depth of bedrock unit as delineated from the results ranged from about 5 m to 100 m while the resistivity values recorded was greater than 6000 Ω-m in most of the profiles. Groundwater bearing channels that would serve the factory needs was delineated alongside the granitic rock unit. These results make the subsurface granitic bedrock unit to be adjudged competent and suitable enough as quarry construction materials for sitting the factory in the area

Application of gravity survey for tin exploration at Bongsu Granite, Kulim, Kedah, Malaysia

Alluvial tin mining in Karangan area was closely related to the mineralization of Bongsu Granite and its contact zone with sedimentary rocks of Semanggol Formation possibly through greisenization process. A gravity survey focusing on high tin anomaly area in Gunung Bongsu Forest Reserve was conducted to define the subsurface geology and structural patterns related to tin mineralization. The gravity data were corrected for drift, free air, Bouguer, latitude and terrain corrections to produce final gravity data of the study area. The data were processed and analyzed using Oasis Montaj to produce Bouguer, regional, residual, Total Horizontal Derivative (THD) regional and THD residual gravity maps for qualitative interpretations. Comparison of the produced gravity anomaly maps indicate occurrence of partial ring fractured-style model of granite emplacement initialized by laccolith development, doming of sedimentary bedrock, magmatic diking through ring fractures and finally sinking and melting of surrounded sedimentary rock before magma cooling and crystallizing to become granites bedrocks. Greisenization occurs within the inner ring granite as the bedrock developed at later phase

Survei keberintangan geoelektrik untuk mengesan terowong di Bukit Tenggek, Setiu, Terengganu.(Geoelectrical Resistivity Survey for Ancient Tunnel Detection at Bukit Tenggek, Setiu, Terengganu)

Survei keberintangan geoelektrik ini telah dijalankan di kawasan Bukit Tenggek, Setiu, Terengganu untuk mengesan kemungkinan wujudnya terowong lama yang dipercayai berada di kawasan berkenaan. Kaedah keberintangan geoelektrik ini bukanlah asing dan didapati amat berkesan di dalam eksplorasi mencari bahan arkeologi dan struktur terkambus di bawah tanah (terowong dan bahan artifak). Survei keberintangan geoelektrik ini dijalankan dengan menggunakan peralatan ABEM Terrameter SAS1000 dan susun atur elektrod jenis Wenner. Kawasan kajian terletak di kawasan lembah yang lembap dan terdapat anak sungai yang merentasi kawasan tersebut. Imej keberintangan 2-D menunjukkan wujudnya beberapa kawasan beranomali yang boleh dikaitkan dengan struktur yang dicari. Nilai keberintangan yang rendah mewakili kawasan yang dianggarkan wujudnya terowong lama. Manakala anomali yang menunjukkan bentuk gugusan dianggarkan berasosiasi dengan lokasi tong/bahan artifak. Profil keberintangan 3-D menunjukkan anomali yang mungkin disebabkan oleh wujudnya satu terowong mendatar dan dua terowong menegak. Namun, kerja galicari perlu dilakukan bagi menentukan punca sebenar anomali tersebut

Soil investigation at Wet World Hot Spring Complex for future development using active multichannel analysis of surface waves

Development of hot spring touristic projects receives more interest in Malaysia in recent years since the country has a high potential of hot springs that are vital to the economy. However, such developmental activities could produce negative impacts if not accompanied with adequate knowledge of the subsurface conditions. Active multichannel analysis of surface waves (MASW) was applied to determine the subsurface shear wave velocities and Vs30. The inverted shear waves velocity models have then presented in both vertical cross-sectional plots and depth slices maps. Depth slices were chosen at about 5, 18.5 m and 32 m depths. Model obtained showed that the soil is stiffer near the highway side and turns to be softer as we go away in the scrub direction. Vs30 is also estimated and mapped to show the quality of the soil. Inverted parameters showed that the soil at the site ranges from soft soil to stiff one. Also, the result obtained proposed that the surface occurrence of the hot spring might be a result of intersection of faulted segments, where hot spring is located near the intersection points. Furthermore, the model helped in proposing a suitable for complex extension. The proposed is chosen such that it minimize any possible effects on the geothermal resources at the site

Gravity investigation of the Bukit Bunuh impact crater at Lenggong,Perak, Malaysia

An archeological study, conducted by the Archaeological Global Research Centre, Universiti Sains Malaysia shows the evidence of shock metamorphisms (suevite breccia) and crater morphology at Bukit Bunuh in Lenggong area of north Perak, Malaysia. A regional gravity survey focusing at Bukit Bunuh and its surrounding area was conducted to justify the occurrence and to determine the diameter and subsurface geological structure of the Bukit Bunuh impact crater. The gravity survey, using a Scintrex CG5 gravity meter, comprises 476 gravity stations with a 500 m spacing covering an area of approximately 160 km2. The elevation of the gravity stations were obtained by using a pair of Wellace and Tiernan altimeters. The gravity data were corrected for drift, free air, bouguer, latitude and terrain in order to produce a corrected gravity data of the study area. The data were processed and analysed using Oasis Montaj (Geosoft software) to produce bouguer, residual, Total Horizontal Derivative (THD) residual, regional and Total Horizontal Derivative (THD) regional anomaly maps for qualitative and quantitative interpretations. The bouguer gravity map shows relatively low negative anomaly with nearly circular shaped contour around the Bukit Bunuh area. This anomaly was interpreted as the remnant of meteorite impact structure with rounded shaped crater in the study area. The bouguer anomaly map showed that the Bukit Bunuh impact crater has a diameter of approximately 2.5 km. The impact structure was successfully modeled as a complex impact crater with maximum depth of about 300 m. The bouguer anomaly map also shows the possible occurences of at least two more impact craters located in the northeast and southeast areas of the Bukit Bunuh crater and these structures need further investigation for confirmation

Data for in-situ industrial site characterization with the applications of combined subsurface and surface mapping

The paper presents the data from the surface and subsurface mapping of this area for the purpose of siting industrial city in the area. The field data collected combine with the borehole data was to successfully apply these to solving geological, environmental and engineering complications posed by the complexity of the subsurface geological structures underlain this area. The Electrical Resistivity, (ER) and Induced Polarization, (IP) data were initially processed using RES2DINV software model to generate the depth to the lithological units together with topographic correction. The 2-D ER and IP data were collected from 23rd April 2017 up until 7th May 2017 covering a total of about 17.6 km along 44 survey lines using ABEM Terrameter SAS4000 for the field measurement. A total of 20 Borehole logs data were recorded to better characterized in-situ, the subsurface geological formations emplaced in the study area. The study area is located at Bagan Datuk, Perak Darul Ridzuan situated on Latitude 2° 44.653'N and Longitudes 104° 28.79' E along the west coast Peninsula Malaysia. The topography of the area is generally flat low–laying and elevation range from about 0 m to 32 m above mean sea level (MSL)