Bulletin of the Geological Society of Malaysia, Volume 57, December 2011, pp. 1-6

Landslides in weathered granitic rocks in Japan and Malaysia

Masahiro Chigira¹, Zainab Mohamad², Lim Choun Sian³ & Ibrahim Komoo³

¹Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Kyoto Univ., Kyoto, Gokasho, Uji 611-0011 Japan
Email address: chigira@slope.dpri.kyoto-u.ac.jp
²Faculty of Civil Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam
³Southeast Asian Disaster Preventn Research Institute, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor

Abstract: Landslides in weathered granitic rocks are strongly affected by the types of weathering, which is site specific and quite different between temperate Japan and tropical Malaysia. Major landslide hazards induced by rainstorms in Japan and Malaysia are compared in terms of weathering scheme and landslide mechanisms. Many landslides have been induced in weathered granitic rock areas by rainstorms in Japan, killing nearly 1500 people since 1938. Some major landslides in Malaysia are also associated with weathered granitic terrain and these have killed more than 200 people.

Keywords: landslide, granite, weathering, Malaysia, Japan

https://doi.org/10.7186/bgsm57201101