Countries within the Ring of Fire region are susceptible to volcanic disturbances.
The Ring of Fire is an area surrounding the Pacific Ocean that is notorious for frequent volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. It coincides with the edges of one of the largest tectonic plates on the planet. The threat of a volcanic eruption or earthquake is an everyday part of the lives of the billions of people who live near the Ring of Fire. On the positive side, volcanic activity has provided rich farmland and mineral resources.
Location
The Pacific Ring of Fire stretches for about 25,000 miles and touches four of the world's continents as well as several major island chains. Starting from Antarctica, it is found on the Pacific Ocean-facing coastlines of New Zealand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Japan, Korea, China, Russia, Alaska, Canada, the United States, Mexico, Central America and South America.
Volcanoes and Earthquakes
The Learning Haven website states that the Ring of Fire contains over 450 volcanoes and about 75 percent of the world's active volcanoes. According to the World Atlas website, nearly 90 percent of the planet's earthquakes occur within this region. These have included the 2005 Sendai earthquake in Japan, the 2010 Santiago earthquake in Chile and the 2011 Christchurch earthquake in New Zealand. An earthquake occurs every day somewhere within the Ring of Fire, according to the Learning Haven website.
Plate Tectonic Theory
According to plate tectonic theory, the Earth's surface comprises a series of massive plates that float on top of the planet's hot, molten interior. As the plates move away from each other, new sea bed is created when the hot lava flows out and is quickly cooled by the ocean. Sometimes the plates slide past each other and cause earthquakes. When plates move toward each other, one is forced beneath the other on impact. The subsumed plate is driven into the Earth's interior, where the high temperatures partially melt the rock. This molten rock can rise to the surface, resulting in a volcanic eruption.
Volcanic Arcs
The narrow, curving chains of volcanoes that make up the Ring of Fire are known as volcanic arcs. Their particularly violent eruptions require an explanation beyond simple plate tectonic theory. Scientists from Oxford University in England used a mathematical model of heat transport to show that the geometrical patterns of volcanoes in the Ring of Fire are located above narrow areas of mantle that do not contain water. When this relatively rare water-free rock melts, violent volcanic eruptions result.
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