From the case of the 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Myanmar on March 28, 2025, it resulted in tremors that could be felt in many areas of Thailand, including inside the tall buildings of Khon Kaen University. The latest update is that 57 provinces in Thailand have been affected by the tremors, with damage occurring in 14 provinces and 3 have been declared disaster areas: Bangkok, Phrae and Pathum Thani.
In addition to the damage to buildings, this natural disaster also affected a popular natural tourist attraction, “Nam Phut Thap Lao” in Khon San District, Chaiyaphum Province, which was originally a beautiful, clear water source that bubbled up from underground. However, after the earthquake, the water was found to be unusually cloudy, causing concern among locals and tourists.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Wimontip Singtheun, a lecturer at the Faculty of Technology, Khon Kaen University, majoring in Geotechnology, provided information about the phenomenon occurring at the Tap Lao spring water source, which is part of the Chaiyaphum Geopark and a valuable geo-heritage of the Northeast, saying, “The major earthquake event called the Mandalay Earthquake 2025 has caused Tap Lao spring water to become turbid and its color has clearly changed from normal. This phenomenon can be explained by geological principles and is not a cause for concern because it is a temporary change that can naturally return to normal.”
“When an earthquake occurs, the strong vibrations cause the soil and sediments underground to move and mix with the groundwater. This causes the clay, sand, and fine sediment particles that accumulate underground to be carried up through the gaps between the soil particles and flow up with the water that emerges, making the water look turbid and unusually turbid,” explained Assoc. Prof. Dr. Wimontip.
In addition, experts in geology from Khon Kaen University also provided additional information about the main cause of the phenomenon, which is the occurrence of “soil liquefaction” or Soil Liquefaction, which often occurs in a layer of saturated sand with low density. When it receives a strong shaking, the soil loses its strength and temporarily becomes liquid-like, causing the sediment to spread and be pushed up through the underground water channels.
“Another factor that causes the water to become turbid is the sudden change in pore water pressure. The vibrations from earthquakes can rapidly change the pressure level in the groundwater layer, causing the sudden increase in pressure to push the groundwater up to the surface and carry fine sediments with it. This is a natural reaction that occurs when there is a strong vibration and will gradually return to normal when the sediments settle and the underground pressure returns to balance,” added Assoc. Prof. Dr. Wimontip.
In terms of the geological characteristics of the Nam Phut Thap Lao area, experts explain that the area has unique and distinctive characteristics, with limestone mountains of the Pha Ngok Group (clay limestone) emerging as a mountain range and karst landscape to the west. These limestones have the properties of aquifers with many spaces and cavities, allowing groundwater to flow through until the groundwater level touches the mixed sedimentary rocks of the Hua Na Kham Group (shale and siltstone) which are flat areas to the east and are solid rocks with no spaces for groundwater to flow through. Groundwater therefore flows up through the spaces or planes of contact between the two rock formations, resulting in Nam Phut Thap Lao and other spring sources in the area of Khon San District.
In addition, the latest information from Mr. Wutthisak Khummu, head of the Nam Phut Thap Lao National Park, revealed that the turbidity of the water has now decreased to almost normal levels, which is consistent with the academic explanation that this phenomenon is only a temporary effect from underground tremors and that nature can restore itself without human intervention.
Khon Kaen University has developed a real-time earthquake warning system, “KKU Emergency Alert”, via Google Chat. The Education and Digital Division has applied the KKU IntelSphere intelligent system to retrieve data from the US Geological Survey to warn of earthquakes occurring within a 2,000-kilometer radius of Khon Kaen University. The desired intensity level for warning is set to 4.5 magnitude. Interested parties can follow up on information and alerts by joining the system by going to the KKU email page, then selecting “Chat” and clicking “Browse Spaces” and searching for “Emergency” or downloading the Google Chat application on their mobile phones to receive alerts more conveniently.
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