Summary “Ring of Fire”

Pacific ring of fire facts

The Pacific ring of fire is a horseshoe of islands in differents parts of the world with a lot of volcanic activity, maybe because they are near areas where tectonic plates are. The ring of fire contains 75% of volcanoes in the world.

Volcanoes in the area

It is belief that the ring of fire has 452 volcanoes, some of the most active are there for example Mt Fuji in Japan, Mt. Saint Helens and Mt. Rainier in the American North West, Krakatoa in Indonesia, Mauna Loa in Hawaii, Galeras in Colombia and Sangay in Ecuador. These volcanoes can be really dangerous for human population.

Most Dangerous Volcanoes

Because of all the activity in the Pacific Ring of Fire it is very possible that one of those volcanoes could cause a lot of trouble for a lot of people. The Santa Maria Volcano in Guatemala has already shown its power with one of the most catastrophic eruptions in the 20th century.  Back then the volcano affected a very large part of the south west of the country; today with many more people in the area the impact of this volcano in the Pacific Ring of Fire could be much greater.

Mount Yasur in Vanuatu is what’s said a stratovolcano and it has been erupting for close to a hundred years. The dangers that Mount Yasur presents are real, and yet tourists risk the dangers of toxic gases and lava flows by getting to the crater every day. This volcano has already taking a few lives from tourists and a tour guide who got too close to the danger zone.

Constant Changes

The “Pacific Ring of Fire” is different today than it was thousands of years ago, because of the changes caused by tectonic plates. The Pacific Plate will hit other plates nearby and that causes them to sink. The crust melts producing the magma that feeds the different volcanoes in the Pacific Ring of Fire or it will help produce new volcanoes. The tectonic plates are also the reason for the many violent earthquakes in the entire area of the pacific.

Risks

In cities located in the “Pacific Ring of Fire” know that there are several risk factors to be ready for. Close to 90% of the earthquakes reported around the world take place in the Ring of Fire. Add to that the possibility of volcano eruptions and that can really be a dangerous area to live in. People not only have to look at the active volcanoes as the dormant ones also pose a threat.

By: Tiny Crespo, Sofi Martin and Luna Rosenman