Volcanoes, Earthquakes and Tsunamis
The Pacific Ring of Fire is a string of volcanoes and sites of seismic activity around the edges of the Pacific Ocean. The tectonic activity along the Ring of Fire results in about 90% of the world’s earthquakes, including the Valdivia Earthquake of Chile in 1960, the strongest ever recorded earthquake at 9.5 out of 10 on the Richter Scales.
The Ring of Fire is also where an estimated 75% of the planet’s volcanoes are located, such as Mount Tambora of Indonesia, which erupted in 1815 and became the largest volcanic eruption in recorded history. All but three of the world’s 25 largest volcanic eruption of the last 11,700 years occurred at volcanoes in the Ring of Fire.
Probably a good place to stay away from, right??
The problem is that some of most densely populated countries and cities on earth sit directly on the Ring of Fire. Lima, Quito and Santiago in South America. San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco in North America. Then you have whole countries with large, dense populations that are situated on the Ring of Fire. Japan (127m people), Philippines (103m people) and Indonesia (267m people). The volcanoes in Indonesia are among the most active of the Pacific Ring of Fire – and there are lots of them!
