Ring of FIRE: Where do earthquakes happen? : VIDEO
Ring of FIRE: Where do earthquakes happen?
DEADLY earthquakes have devastated Ecuador in South America and Japan in East Asia this week. But why have earthquakes struck these countries?
Aftermath of the deadly earthquake: Destruction in Manta, Ecuador
By ALICE FOSTER
Earthquakes in Ecuador and Japan have killed hundreds of people and displaced thousands of families. Here is a look at where in the world earthquakes happen.
Where do earthquakes hit?
Earthquakes normally occur along the edge of tectonic plates - the gigantic slabs that fit together to make up the earth’s crust.
The plates, which are constantly moving on the earth’s surface, sometimes crash into each other or suddenly slide past each other.
The sudden movement of the plates can cause the ground to shake, which wreaks havoc and destruction.
Where do earthquakes hit?
Earthquakes normally occur along the edge of tectonic plates - the gigantic slabs that fit together to make up the earth’s crust.
The plates, which are constantly moving on the earth’s surface, sometimes crash into each other or suddenly slide past each other.
The sudden movement of the plates can cause the ground to shake, which wreaks havoc and destruction.
What is the Ring of Fire?
Both Ecuador and Japan are located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, which is the world’s most active earthquake belt.
The Ring of Fire is a long chain of active volcanoes and earthquake sites that run around the edge of the Pacific Ocean.
It is believed that about 90% of all earthquakes occur along the horse-shaped ring that covers several tectonic plates.
The 25,000-mile ring stretches all the way from South America and North America to Japan and New Zealand on the other side of the ocean.
The Ring of Fire stretches from South America to Japan and New Zealand
Which country has the most earthquakes?
Earthquakes happen all the time all over the world - but a vast majority of the quakes are too weak to be felt.
The whole of Japan lies in very active seismic area so it records a lot of earthquakes, according to the US Government’s science bureau, the US Geological Survey (USGS).
But in fact Indonesia has more total earthquakes than Japan “by virtue of its larger size”, the USGS said.
