Magnitude of event. Scale of Movement. Largest vertical displacement ever observed in one event was in Alaska - 1899. A stretch of coastline was lifted 15 metres above previous level. Thanks to Simon Dawes for the URl of The Kobe City Home Page Regional setting.
Japan sits on the intersection of four tectonic plates thatgenerate a constant seismic risk.
Sediments in the area are predominantley formed from decomposed granite and from colluvial and alluvial deposits. Large areas of the city and its industrial areas were built on landfill sites in Osaka bay. Ground movement associated with fault structures 1.7 m along the horizontal and 1.3 m along the vertical plane. Numerous landslides and rockfalls. Mainly concentrated in a narrow band 1.2km wide and 30 km long.