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A three-dimensional evaluation of earthquake hypocentres beneath the Kanto basin in Japan reveals the presence of a distinct, 25-km-thick and 100-km-wide body. Its fast seismic velocity and
the presence of a double seismic zone suggest that it is a fragment of the Pacific slab, rather than an extension of the Philippine Sea slab. The image is a digital elevation model showing
the tectonic triple junction between the Pacific, Philippine Sea and Eurasian plates, with the Kanto plain just left of the centre. Chains of extinct seamounts descend into the Japan trench
at the right hand side. Cover design by Serkan B. Bozkurt (AMEC Geomatrix)