GEOLOGICAL MAPPING AND HAZARD POTENTIAL OF THE ABANDONED MAMUT COPPER MINE (MCM) AT RANAU DISTRICT, SABAH, MALAYSIA. Nur Ayu Sufiah Khairul1, Junaidi Asis1 and Baba Musta1,2*
1 Faculty of Science and Natural Resources, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.
2 Natural Disaster Research Centre (NDRC), Faculty of Science and Natural Resources, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.
Abstract
Cu-Au mine was one of the main economical resources in Sabah (Malaysia) that operated from 1975 to 1999, known as the Mamut Copper Mine (MCM) located in Ranau district. According to previous research, the currently abandoned MCM could potentially become the main source of contamination in the drainage system around the Ranau district due to the existence of the acid mine drainage. The accumulation of contaminants is related to instability such as landslides and slope failure of the pit wall, in which the materials are transported by erosion and surface drainage through rainfall events. Thus, the main purpose of this research is to assess the hazard and the risk of the MCM pit wall, while determining the major rock unit that contributes to the contamination. These will be achieved by fieldwork observation, such as proforma landslide inventory that is supported by borehole data of the study area. It was found that mine waste, alongside the silicified rock has contributed to the above matter due to the intensive existence of loose materials that will easily fall along the pit wall.
