Pacific ring of fire: where is and why is it so called

The Pacific Fire Ring is a strip of volcanoes, virtually each of which is active. They all border the ocean, from which they got their name. Among them there are geysers, which, according to scientists, are much more dangerous than volcanoes. Predicting their eruption is almost impossible.

Where is?

The Pacific volcanic fire ring is a region located along the perimeter of the ocean of the same name. There are many active volcanoes here. In total there are 540 such on the planet - these are those that are known to mankind. Among them, 328 are located directly in the ring of fire.

The length and location of this natural phenomenon:

• In the west - begins in the Kamchatka peninsula, passes through the Japanese, Philippine and Kuril Islands, captures New Guinea, New Zealand. Ends in Antarctica. Here volcanoes do not work. They are covered with an ice cap, because of which catastrophes do not occur;
• In the east - begins in the north of Antarctica, passes through the islands of Tierra del Fuego, the Andes, the Cordillera and the Aleutians.

Despite the smaller territorial affiliation, the number of volcanoes in both territories is approximately the same, they are simply planted in the east more densely.

Some small geysers and volcanoes are located on numerous small islands of the Pacific Ocean.

How did it come about?

The Pacific fire ring was formed due to such geodynamic processes as spreading and subduction. They represent an expansion of the oceanic lithosphere, when the plates begin to move away from each other, or vice versa, the slab shifting. As a result, volcanoes are born. The immediate zone of the Pacific Ocean includes the plates of Coconut and Nazca. They frame the continents. Volcanoes were formed above them, since joints of plates and continents are noted in these places.

The Pacific ring of fire is not complete. In some places, the above processes were not observed, so no volcanic rocks were formed. This is noted on the stretch between New Zealand and the coast of Antarctica. Here, seismic activity is the lowest, so no earthquakes occur, nor can volcanos or, for example, geysers form.

For the same reason, seismic activity is not observed on the coasts of North America. The line of "tranquility" runs along California, then goes to the north, to the island of Vancouver.

The volcano itself was formed gradually, at the junction of the plates. And the cool waters of the Pacific Ocean cause them to be active all the time, which is quite dangerous for residents of nearby regions.

Catastrophes of the Ring of Fire

The volcanoes of the Pacific Ring of Fire were the most troublesome and troublesome for the people of Japan. The most famous of them is located on this territory, Fujiyama. It is a cone with a length of 4 km. Eruptions are observed quite often, they are accompanied by characteristic explosions. One of the most powerful disasters occurred in December 1707. First, a black cloud of smoke and ash appeared above the volcano. It became dark, as if at night. Then stones and ash began to fly out of the vents. The masses fell asleep in many small villages, the woods broke, and the fields with the harvest were completely devastated.

Another catastrophe occurred in Tokyo in late September 1952. Here, an underwater volcano erupted. At first steam was formed, ash was slowly thrown out. Then came the so-called volcanic bombs. Formed a giant fountain. There were the dead - the authorities sent to the site a research vessel that crashed. Eyewitnesses from other ships that were passing by told us that islands formed on the surface of the water, which immediately disappeared.

In Alaska and the Aleutian Islands, where the Pacific ring of fire extends, eruptions are also not uncommon, since there are more than 50 volcanoes here. A serious disaster occurred in 1912, when the volume of ejected ash and volcanic rocks was 8.5 cubic kilometers. The weight is equal to 29 billion tons. This is one of the most large-scale disasters of volcanic origin.

Islands with volcanic origin

Wherever there is a Pacific fire ring, new islands are constantly emerging, continents are expanding. Changes occur under the cover of water or are too insignificant (a shift is 50-180 mm per year) so that a person can catch them without special instruments.

Volcanic origin is inherent in the mountains of Mauna Loa and Kilauea, which are located in Hawaii. When an eruption occurs, the water in the immediate vicinity of them begins to boil and foam. There are clouds of steam mixed with ash.

In the Malay Sumatra archipelago there are 18 volcanic islands. Their features are crater lakes. These can not be found anywhere else on the planet.

Conclusion

Thus, the Pacific Ring of Fire takes a direct part in the new formation of the continents. This is extremely slow, but with each volcanic eruption the surface undergoes changes. Therefore, the ocean is not so "quiet".