The Ring of Fire Facts and How to Deal with This Zone

The Pacific Ocean has a large area on the earth. This ocean is unique because there is The Ring of Fire. It is a zone where many seismic and volcanic activities occur every time. Many people know some ring of fire facts as the area where most earthquakes occur, but it is more than that.

Active volcanoes are also in this zone because this area is the zone of two different tectonic plates meet. The countries that are in this zone should prepare mitigations because of frequent earthquakes and eruptions. How to deal with this phenomenon to minimize the risks and damage?

The Ring of Fire Facts

1. There are many earthquakes every day

About more than 90% of frequent earthquakes happen in this zone. It is because the zone has many plates that meet and the movement is happening every day even though it is not always significant. It can be a collision, pulling apart, or sliding past. A centimeter of movement can cause an earthquake.

The hotspots of the earthquake in The Ring of Fire are Indonesia, The Philippines, Indonesia, and the West side of the USA. Most earthquakes are powerful, so those countries should take some actions to adapt to these specific disasters. Sometimes, the earthquakes cause tsunamis as well.

2. Most volcanic activities occur here

One of The Ring of Fire facts is it is the home of volcanoes in the world. The area where two different plates meet is the area of volcanoes stay. They are active, yet the eruptions do not occur every day. This condition forces people who live in this area to adapt and be aware of this disaster.

There are many different types of volcanoes. The explosion level is different, but most of them have ash clouds and lava flows to flood around the area. Examples of notable volcanoes in the world that are active are Mount Krakatoa, Mount Aso, Mount St. Helens, and Mount Merapi.

3. It includes many countries

The countries that are in this area are Indonesia, The Philippines, Japan, the West Coast of The USA, Hawaii, Mexico, Chile, and Oceania. The government of these countries has to prepare an early warning system for the people who live on the coastline.

4. The zone where many plates meet

There are many plates in this area which becomes one of the interesting The Ring of Fire facts. The plates are the Australian plate, Eurasian plate, South American plate, Philippine Sea plate, Juan de Fuca plate, North American plate, Pacific Plate, and Nazca plate.

5. Many disasters happen

Besides earthquakes and tsunamis, many disasters can follow those events, such as landslides and mudflows, eruptions from volcano explosions, and typhoons. Since it has long-term effects, the countries that face this destruction have to adapt in many sectors, such as agriculture and infrastructure.

6. It has agricultural benefit

Even though it can be very harmful for many people when some disasters occur, there is agricultural benefit. The area in The Ring of Fire has fertile soil which is a good thing for the agriculture sector. Farming has become easier in this area and it continues over the years.

How to Deal with The Ring of Fire

Preparing mitigations

Mitigation is crucial for the areas in this zone because it can save people’s lives. The government should consider an early warning system that consists of sensors and SMS broadcasters to inform many people who are affected. However, maintaining this system can be very expensive.

Building better infrastructure

With better infrastructure, buildings, housing, and public facilities will not be affected a lot even after big earthquakes. It may be costly, but it is a good investment for years. It can minimize the risk and economic impact that is usually following after events.

Public awareness and education

It is also crucial to educate people who live in the area of the Ring of Fire, so they can be more adaptive and prepare many things when the disasters come. It is the responsibility of local authorities which involves many parties and activities such as funding and international cooperation.

Other The Ring of Fire facts is early warning systems in different countries that use an SMS broadcaster as a device to inform many people when disasters occur. It helps people to self-evacuate to a safe shelter nearby and be more aware of the events that can be harmful and cause a big loss.