The pacific ring of fire is known as a home of repeated earthquakes as well as for a huge number of volcanic explosions. This 40000 kilometer landscape has almost 75 % of the active and inactive volcanoes of this planet. 80 to 90 % earthquakes of the earth takes place in this region alone which makes it one of most seismic and turbulent terrains of the world. This paper intends to discuss the pacific ring of fire and several other related aspects along with discussing the hazards or disasters that it has caused.
The pacific ring of fire is in a horseshoe shape and located in the basin of Pacific Ocean. This strip of land touches four continents of the world along with some important island chains. This fault zone of land stretches from the New Zealand towards north along with Asian east coasts crosses Alaska’s Aleutian Islands and moves towards south along with Canadian and American west coastal area. The faulty structure of pacific ring of fire has been established as a consequence of plate tectonics as well as due to repeatedly colliding of lithospheric plates in the region.
Surface of the earth is made up of tectonic plates. These plates keep floating over malleable portion of the earth which is 80 kilometers deep inside the earth. The crust at the base of ocean is made up of the substances that are cooled by the sea water after explosions of lava. The earth’s plates move in order to make place for the crust and it creates several movements inside and at the layer of the earth. Different movements, depending upon amount and direction of the activities of the plates of the earth are observed.
In recent years, the movements of Tectonic plates as observed by the experts suggest that there has been a very rapid change in the trend. The plates are repeatedly colliding with other plates and that too in a frequent mode and that makes the situation of this region very faulty. This area is undoubtedly one of the faultiest regions but recent changes are going to make it even worse
The pacific ring of fire suggests how the earth has been changing since its evolvement. People who want to understand the movements of the earth and the changes in the different parts of the world should closely observe and analyze the faulty region. It suggests that the trend that has been in existence is changing and whatever is happening in this region can be repeated in any other parts of the world, once the movement takes a different turn. If we closely observe The movements of plates, it is easy to find that the plates come closer sometime and sometimes they move in different direction
At times, plates come near to each other and collide; this situation is known as convergent boundaries. On the other hand when plates go away in different directions from each other, the process is known as divergent boundaries. All these movements take place when magma blows up from the bottom of the sea and creates a new layer.
Experts suggest that these movements can be very abrupt and once this situation starts, it would be a difficult situation for the people that reside in this region. Several experts have opined that there should be a very close monitoring on the movements that take place in this region and also they argue for an effective mechanism that can alert people before any disastrous situation.
Millions of people reside in the region and they have been severely affected at times. In the year 2010 Japan was hit by tsunami which caused a huge damage to the nation. More than 20 thousand people lost their lives and country suffered loss of billions of dollars. The nuclear plant was also damaged that caused the danger of radiation in the environment. Japan is highly affected by the problem that plates create inside the earth. Only a few weeks later the tsunami hit the Thailand and India though there was not that much damage because it was predicted and coastal areas were evacuated.
Several other countries like Thailand, Indonesia, India, and Malaysia also keep facing the dangers of tsunami due to the movements that take place in the pacific ring of fire. This region is a dangerous terrain and can bring some very dangerous situation in the coming years, is what is believed by the experts. After having observed the abovementioned analysis of the subject, it is good to say that the pacific ring of fire is a natural surprise that us hard to understand for a common man. It is a surprise but at the same time but us also very dangerous for the people who reside in the above said region.
Works Cited
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Nunn, Patrick D. Vanished Islands And Hidden Continents Of The Pacific. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 2009.
Stanley, David. Moon Handbooks South Pacific. USA: David Stanley, n.d.
