SSA2215 Lecture 4: Singapore Topography and Slopes

www.maps-for-free.com

NASA Shuttle Radar Map

Topography ?
Geomorphic Configurations of Singapore
Topography and Geology

Slopes and Slope Failure

Chapter 5 of Friess & Oliver (2014)

Most of us have an idea of the layout of Singapore: where everything is,

is called geography. What about the topography: the shape of the land?

To understand the topography, need to understand the geology.

Google Map View of Singapore (2013)

Geologically, Singapore is situated at the Equator on stable continental

crust called Sundaland: a relict of the 200 M yr old Indosinian Orogeny
(see Lecture 2) formed by collision, uplift, exposure and erosion.

Because Singapore is on the Equator, the climate is tropical, hot, wet and
monsoonal. Where there are mountains and rain there is erosion. Where
there is erosion there is topography and slopes.

Weathering effects
Physical (or mechanical) weathering causes rocks to disintegrate.
This means the rocks fall apart into smaller pieces. Freezing climates
are more efficient at physical weathering.

Chemical weathering causes rocks to decompose. This means the

minerals that make up the rock are changed by a chemical reaction
with rain or ground water. Warmer wetter climates are more
efficient at chemical weathering.
Biological weathering is when plants cause rocks to break up. Roots
will force open cracks in the rocks and break them. Dead plants
produce acids when they rot. These acids cause a chemical
weathering in the rocks.

Weathering on Bukit Timah Granite

Mechanical weathering on steep slopes, in the stream
Chemical weathering in rain and ground water
Biological weathering in soils

Bare granite being eroded by abrasion of detritus moving down the

stream. Boulders are moving down hill under gravity. Plants roots are
growing in cracks in the rock. Soil is being washed away. The granite is
being eroded and exhumed.

The Colour of Flood Water in Singapore

Clay particles are washed away in a milky
suspension in stream water and deposited in
lakes, reservoirs and the sea as mud.
White milky flood water is coloured by
suspended illite and kaolinite clay particles.
Brown milky flood water is coloured by
limonite particles

Orchard Rd 16th Jun 2010

Bukit Timah Canal 20th Nov 2009

Mud in suspension around Pulau Tekong

Mechanical weathering of granite on

rocky coast
Fallen blocks of granite

Rocky coast of
Pulau Ubin

Chemical weathering of granite

on rocky coast of P. Ubin
Acid rain dissolves grooves

Mechanical
erosion
of granite
blocks

Alkali seawater does not

Mechanical and biological weathering and erosion of

Jurong Formation sandstones. Note anticlinal fold
= rocky coast of St Johns Island

Mechanical weathering of Jurong Formation,

Siloso Point. Rocky coast of Sentosa

Exhumation rates

Ice

2 mm/y = 2 km/million years = 10 km/5 million years

E.g. Singapore granite intruded at 10 km depth could be exhumed to the surface within 5 mill yr
Burbank (2002) http://projects.crustal.ucsb.edu/tectgeomorphfigs/Min_Mag_exhumation_ms.pdf

Some terminology
Relief: difference in elevation between high and low points of land
surface.
30 m hill

Pasir Labir Ridge

slope

5m valley

Topography:
Configuration (shape) of the land surface. The graphic delineation or
portrayal of that configuration in map form.
This is achieved using hachure maps, contour maps, relief maps,
satellite imagery.

Map of Singapore 1825: hills are hachured (shaded)

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Singapore-map-1825-detail

Singapore ND 2011 Topographic Map: 1:50,000

Contoured topographic map of the area of Kent Ridge Campus

(1914)

Building Contractors Contour Map

Height contours (lines of

equal height)every 10 feet

Gap

Spur

North

Scale 500 ft

Contour Map
National Parks Board

Contoured and coloured topography

map of Bukit Timah district: steep hills.
Green is low ground, brown is high
ground

10 m contour map of area

around Bukit Timah

Bukit Gambok

Bukit Timah

Bukit Bartok

Slope Map of Singapore

Darker colours are steeper slopes

(Source: Wong Poh Poh, 1960)

Steepest slopes are on Jurong Formation sandstone ridges

Granite
Jurong
Formation

Gabbro

Old Alluvium

Kallang Fm

(Source: Wong Poh Poh, 1960)

Learn this

Contemporary form of Singapore

Highest elevation: Bukit Timah Hill, 164(5) metres.

Average elevation: 15 metres (quite low)

Median (most common) elevation: 12 metres.
Percentage:
< 1 % above 60 metres (low)
10% over 30 metres
> 70% below 15 metres (high)

Contemporary form of Singapore

Slopes
High relief does not necessary produce steep slopes.
Find steeper slopes along ridges where almost 7% of
the slopes are over 25 degrees.

Morphological units
Morphology: shape of the ground with reference to the
slope.
Morphological unit: assembly of slope elements which
have more or less common character.

Contemporary form of Singapore

Morphological units
Morphology of Singapore bears a strong relationship to
geological structure.
Igneous rocks: granite and gabbro = highest elevation and
distinct hills.
Sedimentary rocks: Jurong Formation = sandstone ridges
versus mudstone valleys
Old Alluvium: soft unconsolidated sand and gravel =
relatively uniform gentle relief.
Young Alluvium; Kallang Formation: soft sand + mud: valleys

Contemporary form of Singapore

Morphological units
9 morphological units identified for Singapore:
1. Hill (> 90 metres)
2. Hill and Valley (hills between 15 -75 metres high) (3 types)
3. Ridge and Valley (2 types)

4. Plain (2 types)
5. Valley

Morphological units drawn from contour maps

BT

(Source: Gupta & Pitts, 1992, The Singapore Story,

Physical Adjustments to a Changing Landscape)

Contemporary form of Singapore

Morphological units - Hills
Locations: Bukit Mandai, B Panjang, B Batok, B Gombak and B Timah.

BM

BP
BG
BT
BB

Igneous rocks: Gombak Gabbro and along western edge of Bukit Timah
Granite. Characteristics: Highest relief in Singapore
All land above 105 m. 58% of islands elevated land is between 61-107
m. Median slope = 8.2o

Contemporary form of Singapore

Morphological units Hills and Valleys
HVs1 : steep high relief
(hills more than 30 m, steep valleys)
HVs2 : steep, low relief
( hills <30m and steep, valley slope variable)
HVg2 : gentle, low relief
(rounded landscape, 15-24 m)
Tend to be found over:
Granite (average elevation is 27 metres, 59% of the slopes are >
6o)
Old Alluvium (smaller units at Tampines where average elevation
is 24 metres)

Hills and quarries around Bukit Timah (1980s?)

Contemporary form of Singapore

Morphological units Ridge and Valleys
RVs1 : Steep, high relief.
(steep ridges, > 46m, narrow steep
valleys)
RVs2 : steep, low relief.
(steep ridges, < 30m, variable valleys)
Found in the western part of Singapore where there are
Jurong Formation sedimentary rocks.
Distinct ridges of hard sandstone with steep slopes and
valleys eroded in interbedded soft mudstones

Hard Jurong Formation sandstone makes ridges

Soft Jurong Formation mudstones eroded away to make valley

Contemporary form of Singapore

Morphological units Plain (P, Pf), valley (V)
Plain (P): usually < 3m in elevation. Recent deposited
materials identifiable with large estuaries (e.g. Changi,
Bedok, Kallang-Geylang, Jurong-Pandan, Sembawang.

Pf: fringing lowlands along coasts, widely distributed.

Valley (V): distinct round or flat-bottomed valley. Usually
associated with major streams such as Kallang, Bukit
Timah, Bedok, Kranji, Pandan etc.

Mangrove floodplain

Sungei Buloh Mangrove Wetland

P. Ubin

Pulau Ubin: Wetland forest

Morphological units are related to geology

Geology Map of Singapore, switch back and forth to previous slide

s
s

Murai
Slate

Bukit
Timah

KEY
Recent alluvium
and land-fill
Old Alluvium
North

Jurong Formation
.

10 km scale

Andesitic volcanics (v)

+ Sajahat Fm sediments (s)
Granite

Geology after Lee and Zhou (2009)

Gabbro

Singapore Digital Shaded Relief Map

Not in the book

cos of copywrite

Computed from
contour map:
illuminated from
the NE

150 m

125 m
100 m

Artifact

There are areas of different topography: why?

Compare the geology map with the topography

Murai
Slate

Recent alluvium
and land-fill
Old Alluvium
Jurong Formation

Topography Map

Andesitic volcanics (v)

and sediments (s)
Granite
Gabbro

Scale 10 km

Geology Map of Singapore

s

Recent alluvium
and land-fill
Old Alluvium
260 Ma Upper Permian
Gabbro

Jurong Formation

Andesitic volcanics (v)

and sediments (s)
Granite
Gabbro

Geology Map of Singapore

s

Recent alluvium
and land-fill
Old Alluvium
244-230 Ma Middle Triassic
Granites

Jurong Formation

Andesitic volcanics (v)

and sediments (s)
Granite
Gabbro

Geology Map of Singapore

s

Recent alluvium
and land-fill
Old Alluvium
200 Ma Upper Triassic
Jurong Fm

Jurong Formation

Andesitic volcanics (v)

and sediments (s)
Granite
Gabbro

Geology Map of Singapore

s

Recent alluvium
and land-fill
Old Alluvium
Trace the Bukit Timah Fault

Jurong Formation

Andesitic volcanics (v)

and sediments (s)
Granite
Gabbro

Geology Map of Singapore

s

Recent alluvium
and land-fill
Old Alluvium
< 1.8 Ma Old Alluvium

Jurong Formation

Andesitic volcanics (v)

and sediments (s)
Granite
Gabbro

Geology Map of Singapore

s

Recent alluvium
and land-fill
Old Alluvium
Jurong Formation
< 120,000 yr Kallang Fm

Andesitic volcanics (v
and sediments (s)
Granite
Gabbro

Hard gabbro

Hard granite

The main topographic valley

runs along Commonwealth Av
= purple shaded rocks which are
the soft red mudstones of the Queenstown
Facies of the Jurong Formation that
were deposited in Lake Sentosa

High ridges of
hard sandstone
and conglomerate

Singapore digital relief map: NASA Shuttle radar 90m

resolution. Illuminated from the west.

www.maps-for-free.com

Morphological Units

Geology Map of Singapore = Morphological Map

s
s

Murai
Slate

Bukit
Timah

KEY
Recent alluvium
and land-fill
Old Alluvium
North

Jurong Formation
.

10 km scale

Andesitic volcanics (v)

+ Sajahat Fm sediments (s)
Granite

Geology after Lee and Zhou (2009)

Gabbro

NE contact of Jurong
Fm after Lee & Zhou (2009

NE contact of Jurong
Fm after Lee & Zhou (2009)

Where would you draw

the Bukit Timah Fault?

Lineaments in the Old

Alluvium are not seen in
New Alluvium (Kallang Fm)

Lets play with Google Earth! Take a tour of Bukit Timah

Bukit Timah

Bukit Timah

http://keropokman.blogspot.sg

Google Earth
Tour of Bukit Timah
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Download Google Earth

Open Google Earth
Search: enter Bukit Timah Singapore
Tools. Options. Elevation exaggeration times 2 or even 3
Click Places, scroll down and click Bukit Timah Tour
Click the Tour closed when finished

To show the topography

1. Tilt to the vertical view
2. Move up or down to cover the view you require
3. Click the Ruler, click Line
4. Trace out a (yellow) line along the direction of interest
5. Click Save (line turns red)
6. Click OK
7. Click Edit
8. Right click Show Elevation Profile
9. Change the vertical scale
10. Delete line measure when finished

Nee Soon Fault

Granite

Old Alluvium

A
BTF

Sandstone ridges
BTF
Jurong Fm

Bukit Timah
NSF
Granite

Old Alluvium

BTF

NSF

Bukit Timah
Jurong Formation

BTF
Bukit Timah
Kent Ridge

Bukit Timah
Fault

Jurong Fm

Granite

Nee Soon
Fault

Bukit Timah

A
Bukit Timah

A
Bukit Timah
Fault
Jurong Fm

B
Nee Soon
Fault

Granite

Bukit Gambok

Bukit Timah

Bukit Batok

3 x vertical exaggeration

Bukit Gambok

Gombak
Gabbro

Bukit Timah
164 m

Bukit Batok

Jurong Formation
Sandstones ete

Bukit Timah Granite

Kent Ridge

F
Mt Faber

Crest of ridge

View of Kent Ridge Campus Area

Soft mudstone
valley

Hard sandstone ridge

View of Kent Ridge Campus Area

Fault

Hard sandstone ridges

Soft mudstone
valleys

Kent Ridge Campus

Kent Ridge
Jurong Fm
Sandstones

Crest

Valleys and ridges in dipping strata

Valley

Ridge

Dip slope
is unsafe
= slumping

Hard sandstones
Soft mudstones

Slopes and slope failure

Arid climate: cliff,
straight slopes.
Humid climate: a
rounded summit, convex
straight and concave
slopes
Naturally too steep =
slope failure

Re-grading (cut and fill)

Slope re-grading involves the
cutting of slopes or filling of
valleys to increase flat terrain
areas for building;
Slope re-grading changes one
or all: gradient, length and
profile.

Increased slope
= increased vulnerability

More spaces if slope is steeper

Slope failure

Landslides in NUS on 25th Sept 2003

Slope failure Jan 2006

Slope failure at the Old NUS Business School
Business School

(a)
(b)

(c)

Note that the slope did not fail below the tree at (a). It did fail along drains at (b) and (c)
http://www.cces.ethz.ch/latsis2007/program/CCES_Latsis_extended_abstract_Siew_Ann_Tan.pdf

Dip slope failure = slumping

(Ground water table)

http://www.cces.ethz.ch/latsis2007/program/CCES_Latsis_extended_abstract_Siew_Ann_Tan.pdf

After slope repair with 8 m deep drains

http://www.cces.ethz.ch/latsis2007/program/CCES_Latsis_extended_abstract_Siew_Ann_Tan.pdf

Slope failure NUS, Kent Ridge Cresent: Sept 2003?

Remedial slopes in NUS Kent Vale Campus

Vegetation used to stabilised the slope

Concrete geogrid: Faculty of Engineering

Reinforced concrete piles

Terracing

NUS Science Blocks

Natural landslide in Quenstown Facies mudstones: Labrador Nature Reserve

Slope failure on natural dip-slip slopes

on S side of Mt Faber
Mt Faber II
Service Reservoir

Dip slope failure = slumping

Dip of strata is downhill

Mt Faber remedial slope

works May 2013

Drilling inclined expansion bolts and near

horizontal drain pipes

Reservoir

Summary
Singapores topography is a consequence of geology and climate
Topography is a useful tool to interpret the geology and vice versa
Hard igneous rocks like gabbro and granite make up the steep
higher hills of the Central Catchment Area
Linear belts of hard Jurong Formation sandstone form long ridges
Linear belts of soft Jurong Formation mudstone form long valleys
Hard sandstone ridges have the steepest slopes
Old Alluvium forms uniform gentle rolling relief
Soft Kallang Formation fills estuaries and coastal plains
Faults erode out as narrow valleys
Google Earth is a useful topographic tool
Man-made and natural dip-slip slopes in Singapore are often
unstable, especially after a wetter Dec-Jan NE monsoon