The Pacific Ring of Fire is a strip of volcanoes, virtually each of which is active. All of them fringe 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 ring of fire is an area located along the perimeter of the ocean of the same name. There are many active volcanoes. 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 on the Kamchatka Peninsula, passes through the Japanese, Philippine and Kuril Islands, captures New Guinea, New Zealand. Ends in Antarctica. Volcanoes do not work here. They are covered with an ice cap, because of which disasters do not occur;
- in the east - begins in the north of Antarctica, passes through the islands of Tierra del Fuego, the Andes, Cordillera and Aleutians.
Despite the smaller territorial affiliation, the number of volcanoes in both territories is approximately the same, they just planted in the east more densely.
Some small geysers and volcanoes are located on the numerous small islands of the Pacific Ocean.
How did it come about?
The Pacific Ring of Fire was formed due to such geodynamic processes as spreading and subduction. They represent the proliferation of the oceanic lithosphere, when the plates begin to move away from each other, or vice versa, the movement of the plates. As a result, volcanoes are born. The Pacific Ocean zone itself includes the Cocos and Nazca plates. They frame the continents. Volcanoes formed above them, as in these places joints of plates and continents are noted.
The Pacific Ring of Fire is not complete. In some places of the above processes was not observed, therefore, no volcanic rocks were formed. This is noted in the interval between New Zealand and the coast of Antarctica. Here, seismic activity is as low as possible, so no earthquakes occur, nor can volcanoes or, for example, geysers form.
Also, for the same reason, seismic activity is not observed on the coasts of North America. The line of "calm" runs along California, then goes north to Vancouver Island.
Volcanoes themselves formed gradually, at the junction of the plates. And the cool waters of the Pacific Ocean force them to be active all the time, which is quite dangerous for residents of nearby regions.
Catastrophe of the Ring of Fire
The volcanoes of the Pacific Ring of Fire caused the most trouble and trouble for the people of Japan. The most famous of them, located in this territory, is Fuji. 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 severe disasters occurred in December 1707. First, a black cloud of smoke and ash appeared over the volcano. It was dark as if at night. Then stones and ash began to fly out of the vent. Masses were bombarded with many small villages, forests were beaten, and fields with crops were completely devastated.
Another disaster occurred in Tokyo at the end of September 1952. An underwater volcano erupted here. At first steam formed, ashes were slowly thrown out. Then came the so-called volcanic bombs. A giant fountain has formed. There were dead - the authorities sent a research vessel to the site, which crashed. Eyewitnesses from other ships that sailed past said that islands formed on the surface of the water, which immediately disappeared.
In Alaska and the Aleutian Islands, where the Pacific Ring of Fire stretches, eruptions are also not uncommon, since there are more than 50 volcanoes. A serious disaster occurred here in 1912, when the volume of ejected ash and volcanic rocks amounted to 8.5 cubic kilometers. Weight equated to 29 billion tons. This is one of the largest disasters of volcanic origin.
Volcanic Islands
Where the Pacific Ring of Fire is located, new islands are constantly appearing, continents are expanding. Changes occur under the cover of water or are too insignificant (the shift is 50-180 mm per year), so that a person could catch them without special devices.
Volcanic origin is inherent in the mountains of Mauna Loa and Kilauea, which are located in Hawaii. When an eruption occurs, water in the immediate vicinity of them begins to boil and foam. Clouds of steam mixed with ash appear.
The Malay Archipelago of Sumatra has 18 volcanic islands. Their features are crater lakes. It’s impossible to meet anywhere else on the planet.
