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07-08-2025
- Science
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What is the Pacific Ring of Fire?
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The Ring of Fire is an enormous belt of active and dormant volcanoes that surrounds most of the Pacific Ocean. It runs from southern Chile, up the west coast of the Americas, through the islands off Alaska and down Japan to the Philippines. Some geologists also include an Indonesian chain of volcanoes in the ring. These volcanoes arise because of subduction — the movement of a tectonic plate under a neighboring plate — which lowers the melting point of rock in the mantle. The rock turns to magma, rises to the surface and erupts as a volcano. But the Ring of Fire does this subduction on a massive scale. "What's special about the Ring of Fire is that multiple oceanic plates in the Pacific have subduction boundaries there," Loÿc Vanderkluysen, a volcanologist at Drexel University in Philadelphia, told Live Science. About 90% of the 34,000 miles (55,000 kilometers) of subduction plate boundaries on Earth are found in the Pacific, Vanderkluysen explained. This tectonic movement also causes earthquakes. When one plate is forced underneath another, "there's lots of kicking and screaming as the plates grind against one another," Jeffrey Karson, a professor emeritus of tectonics at Syracuse University in New York, told Live Science. "And so that's where the biggest earthquakes on our planet take place." The Ring of Fire contains about 75% of Earth's active volcanoes and is where 90% of measured earthquakes occur. What's in a name? The name Ring of Fire is hotly contested among researchers. "Many scientists hate the term," Vanderkluysen said. For one, it's not actually a complete ring. The volcanoes follow the edges of tectonic plates, which only subduct on the north, east and west of the Pacific. Also, some areas of the ring have no volcanism at all, such as Peru and central Chile. In addition, the Ring of Fire includes more than 450 volcanoes in distinct regions. And they all differ in their magma production, storage and the positioning of their subducting plate, Vanderkluysen said. "Each [volcano] has its own individual history and flavor that, from a research perspective, is more effective to study individually rather than trying to link all the Ring of Fire volcanoes together that are otherwise not geologically linked," he said. Related: Sleeping subduction zone could awaken and form a new 'Ring of Fire' that swallows the Atlantic Ocean Some experts believe that the term has taken on a false meaning in popular culture, with the implication that it's one big structure, Erik Klemetti, a volcanologist at Denison University in Granville, Ohio, told Live Science. "It works nicely as a way to describe the fact that there are an awful lot of volcanoes along the edge of the Pacific," he said, but the ring is just "a geographic coincidence of our current moment on Earth." One big misconception is "the catastrophist notion that all volcanoes in the Ring of Fire are interconnected and that an eruption or earthquake in one location can trigger the whole region with dramatic consequences," Vanderkluysen said. While it's clear to scientists that an eruption in Japan will not trigger an eruption in Chile, for example, the term is sometimes used to suggest that it's possible, he said. "An immense natural laboratory for volcanism" Research into the Ring of Fire spreads across many fields. About two-thirds of the volcanoes that have erupted on Earth since 1960 were in the ring, so "just due to sheer numbers, the Pacific region is an immense natural laboratory for volcanism, and explosive volcanism in particular," Vanderkluysen said. Volcanologists can use data from the ring to learn about the various eruptions that happen there. "Some are steady and erupt without massive build-ups, and others erupt sporadically but catastrophically," Robert Butler, who studies plate tectonics at the University of Aberdeen, told Live Science in an email. The different kinds of plate interactions in the Pacific serve as "test beds" for learning what leads to different types of eruptions, Klemetti explained. Klemetti hopes Ring of Fire research will eventually reveal the inner workings of volcanoes that take place miles below sea level. In the next 10 or 20 years, he thinks scientists can learn about where and how magma is stored between eruptions, how long it takes for magma to heat up and understand more about the transition from dormancy to eruption. Seismologists also study the Ring of Fire, as more than 80% of earthquakes with a magnitude of 8.0 or higher have occurred there. Researchers can investigate quakes in the Ring of Fire to learn more about how the stress builds up in subduction zones before powerful earthquakes, Butler said. The vast amount of data helps scientists differentiate between types of extreme events and their causes. "It's a general problem we need to sort in geology, the differences between frequent, not too serious events, and those that occur infrequently but are super-devastating," Butler said. RELATED STORIES —The lost continent of Zealandia hides clues to the Ring of Fire's birth —Japan's Explosive Geology Explained —Russia's tallest volcano spews out 1,000-mile-long river of smoke after giant eruption, satellite images reveal Analyzing volcanoes and earthquakes in the Ring of Fire can help scientists to improve extreme hazard prediction for volcanic eruptions. Scientists estimate that 800 million people — about 10% of the world's population — live within 62 miles (100 kilometers) of an active volcano. "In the future, there will be large volcanic eruptions that might happen close to population centers and might have impacts at the global scale," Marc-Antoine Longpré, a volcanologist at CUNY Graduate Center, told Live Science. Earthquakes in the ring, and resulting tsunamis, are also of great concern. Researchers could use earthquake data from the Ring of Fire to develop early warning systems or forecasting tools, Vanderkluysen said. US volcano quiz: How many can you name in 10 minutes? Solve the daily Crossword
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First Post
30-07-2025
- First Post
Why earthquake in Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula is dangerous
An 8.8 magnitude earthquake that hit Russia's Far East Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday (July 30) has set off tsunami warnings in Japan, the United States and other countries across the Pacific Ocean. The peninsula is part of the Ring of Fire, a huge belt of active volcanoes and seismic activity that covers most of the Pacific Ocean read more A powerful wave washes past a building located near the shore, after a powerful earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula, in Severo-Kurilsk, Sakhalin Region, Russia July 30, 2025 in this screen grab obtained from social media video. Social media via Reuters A massive earthquake hit Russia's remote Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday (July 30), prompting tsunami warnings across the Pacific Ocean. The 8.8 magnitude quake is the strongest to strike the planet since 2011, when a 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck northeast Japan, triggering a disastrous tsunami. The latest earthquake, shallow at a depth of 19.3 km, hit about 119 km east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, according to the US Geological Survey. The earthquake's epicentre was the Kamchatka Peninsula, which is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD But what is it? We will explain. Catch all the updates on the . What is the Ring of Fire? The Ring of Fire is a huge belt of active and dormant volcanoes that spans most of the Pacific Ocean. It stretches from southern Chile and the US west coast through the islands off Alaska and down Japan to the Philippines. As per National Geographic, around 90 per cent of all earthquakes occur along the Ring of Fire. Also, 75 per cent of all active volcanoes on Earth lie along this belt. The ring, shaped like a 40,000-kilometer horseshoe, runs from the boundary of the Pacific Plate to smaller plates such as the Philippine Sea plate to the Cocos and Nazca Plates, dotting the edge of the Pacific Ocean. The Ring of Fire was formed as a result of the shifting of tectonic plates, which are massive slabs of the Earth's crust. These plates constantly move above the mantle, a layer of solid and molten rock below the Earth's crust. Volcanoes are formed along this ring when one plate crashes under another into the mantle – a process called subduction. 'What's special about the Ring of Fire is that multiple oceanic plates in the Pacific have subduction boundaries there,' Loÿc Vanderkluysen, a volcanologist at Drexel University in Philadelphia, told Live Science. The movement of tectonic plates also leads to earthquakes. When one plate is shoved beneath the other, 'there's lots of kicking and screaming as the plates grind against one another. And so that's where the biggest earthquakes on our planet take place,' Jeffrey Karson, a professor emeritus of tectonics at Syracuse University in New York, was quoted as saying by Live Science. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD More than 80 per cent of earthquakes with a magnitude of 8.0 or higher have occurred along the Ring of Fire. Most of the active volcanoes on the Ring of Fire are present in the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia, the islands of Japan and Southeast Asia, and New Zealand. Russia earthquake triggers tsunami warnings A tsunami was reported in coastal areas of Russia's Kuril Islands and Japan's northern island of Hokkaido, after an enormous 8.8 magnitude quake struck off Russia's remote and sparsely populated far eastern coast, as per Associated Press (AP). Tsunami warnings have also been issued for Alaska, Hawaii and other coasts south toward New Zealand. A tsunami as high as 3-4 metres occurred in parts of Kamchatka, said Sergei Lebedev, regional minister for emergency situations, urging people to stay clear of coastlines. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, a tsunami with a height of 40 centimetres was recorded in 16 locations. The US Tsunami Warning System also issued a warning of 'hazardous tsunami waves'. China's Ministry of Natural Resources' Tsunami Warning Center has issued alerts for the country's east coast along Shanghai and Zhejiang provinces, predicting waves between 0.3 to 1 meter. Mexico's Navy has forecasted waves of 30 to 100 centimetres (1 to 3.3 feet) on the Mexican Pacific coast. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The powerful earthquake that hit Russia's Far East was the strongest in over a decade. Helen Janiszewski, Assistant Professor, Geophysics and Tectonics Division at the University of Hawaii told BBC that the quake was among the ten most severe in recorded history. 'Today's earthquake was serious and the strongest in decades of tremors,' Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov said in a video posted on the Telegram messaging app, reported Reuters. Russia also reported two aftershocks of 6.3 and 6.9 magnitudes after the initial quake. Dozens more aftershocks above a 5 magnitude were also witnessed later. Evacuation orders Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency has issued an evacuation advisory to over 900,000 residents in 133 municipalities along Japan's Pacific coast, from Hokkaido to Okinawa. People evacuated are seen on the roof of the fire station building after Japan issued evacuation alert following a major quake in Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula that triggered a tsunami warning, in Mukawa Town, Hokkaido, Japan, July 30, 2025. Kyodo via Reuters Sirens were heard in Honolulu after officials in Hawaii ordered an 'immediate evacuation' of large parts of the island Oahu. 'Urgent action should be taken to protect lives and property,' the warning said. Josh Green, the governor of Hawaii, urged people to 'stay calm' and move to 'higher ground' from low-lying areas. Japanese nuclear power plants along the Pacific coast have suspended work. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the company operating the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, said 4,000 workers have been evacuated. The power plant had reported a nuclear meltdown in 2011 after the huge earthquake and tsunami hit Japan. With inputs from agencies
