Understanding the Ring of Fire

The Ring of Fire is a major area in the basin of the Pacific Ocean where a large number of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur. It accounts for approximately 90% of the world's earthquakes and 75% of the world's active volcanoes.

Geographic Extent

The Ring of Fire is roughly 40,000 kilometers (25,000 miles) long and forms an asymmetrical horseshoe shape. It extends from New Zealand through the eastern coast of Australia, across the islands of Indonesia and the Philippines, and through Japan, up the coast of Russia, across to Alaska, down the west coasts of Canada, the United States, and Mexico, and continuing down the western coast of Central and South America.

Why So Active?

The Ring of Fire's seismic activity is due to its location on the Pacific Plate, one of the largest tectonic plates on Earth. The interactions between the Pacific Plate and surrounding continental and oceanic plates create subduction zones and transform faults, where earthquakes frequently occur.

Major Subduction Zones

• Cascadia Subduction Zone: Northwestern North America
• Japan Trench: Eastern Japan
• Kuril-Kamchatka Trench: Eastern Russia
• Aleutian Trench: Alaska
• Tonga Trench: South Pacific

Impact on Populations

Over 2 billion people live along the Ring of Fire, making it crucial for these populations to maintain high levels of earthquake preparedness and monitoring.