Pacific Ring of Fire

The Pacific Ring of Fire is an arc around the Pacific Ocean where many volcanoes and earthquakes are formed.^[1] The area is also called the Pacific Rim, a term which refers to the coastal areas of the countries round the Pacific.^[2]

About three quarters of the world's dormant volcanos and active volcanos are here. The ring is 40,000km long, and there are 452 volcanoes.^[3]

About 90%^[4] of the world's earthquakes and 81%^[5] of the world's largest earthquakes occur along the Ring of Fire. The next most seismic region (5–6% of earthquakes and 17%^[5] of the world's largest earthquakes) is the Alpide belt, which extends from Java to Sumatra through the Himalayas, the Mediterranean, and out into the Atlantic. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is the third most prominent earthquake belt.^[6][7]

The Ring of Fire is a direct result of plate tectonics and the movement and collisions of crustal plates.^[8]

1. ↑ "The Ring of Fire: home to the majority of the world's active volcanoes". ThoughtCo. Retrieved 2018-08-22.
2. ↑ Linda, Wojtan (1987). "Teaching about the Pacific Rim. ERIC Digest No. 43". ERIC DIGEST. Archived from the original on 8 March 2016. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
3. ↑ "Ring of Fire - Pacific Ring of Fire". Geography.about.com. 2010-06-14. Archived from the original on 2010-12-04. Retrieved 2010-11-01.
4. ↑ "Earthquake Glossary". earthquake.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2017-11-01.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} "Earthquake Facts & Earthquake Fantasy". earthquake.usgs.gov. Archived from the original on 2017-12-13. Retrieved 2017-11-01.
6. ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Earthquakes FAQ Archived 2006-01-17 at the Wayback Machine.
7. ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Earthquakes Visual Glossary Archived 2005-12-10 at the Wayback Machine.
8. ↑ "Moving slabs". Archived from the original on 1997-10-11.