A series of oceanic trenches, island arcs, and active volcanoes that surrounds the Pacific Ocean in an almost continuous chain, about 40 000 km long. It is a consequence of the movement of tectonic plates. On the eastern (American) side of the ocean, the Nazca and Cocos plates are being subducted beneath the South American Plate, the Cocos Plate is also being subducted beneath the Caribbean Plate, and part of the Juan de Fuca and Pacific plates are being subducted beneath the North American Plate. On the western (Asian) side of the ocean, the Pacific Plate is being subducted beneath the Philippine and Indo-Australian plates, and in the south the Pacific Plate is being subducted beneath the Antarctic Plate. The Ring of Fire contains 452 volcanoes and experiences about 90% of all the world’s earthquakes.

Ring of fire: The triangles mark the locations of major volcanoes associated with subduction zones.