Lessons from the Pacific Ring of Fire
Comprising a string of highly seismic sites and about three-quarters of the world’s active volcanoes,
the Ring of Fire stretches all the way up the western coast of the Americas,
round to Japan and on to the Philippines and New Zealand.
Approximately 90 per cent of recorded earthquakes happen along
this ring, making it an important location for scientists as well as a place
that needs to be closely monitored to try to protect people living along it.
In the interview below, seismologist Susanne Sargeant explains how Ecuador’s
earthquake was caused by the Nazca and Pacific plates, located between New
Zealand and South America, rubbing together.
The Earth’s surface is made from a floating jigsaw of such tectonic plates.
Although large earthquakes are perceived as exceptional occurrences, the plates
are constantly moving, albeit very slowly, and they are prone to shocks where
they meet.
SOURCE: SCI DEV NET
Comprising a string of highly seismic sites and about three-quarters of the world’s active volcanoes, the Ring of Fire stretches all the way up the western coast of the Americas, round to Japan and on to the Philippines and New Zealand.
In the interview below, seismologist Susanne Sargeant explains how Ecuador’s earthquake was caused by the Nazca and Pacific plates, located between New Zealand and South America, rubbing together.
The Earth’s surface is made from a floating jigsaw of such tectonic plates. Although large earthquakes are perceived as exceptional occurrences, the plates are constantly moving, albeit very slowly, and they are prone to shocks where they meet.
SOURCE: SCI DEV NET
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