The “Ring of Fire” stretches from New Zealand to South America, running along the eastern edge of Asia, the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, and the coasts of North and South America. It is located along the borders of the Pacific Plate and is home to seventy five percent of the world’s volcanoes, both active and dormant. The Ring of Fire is responsible for approximately eighty percent of the world’s earthquakes, including the most recent earthquake that resulted in a tsunami crashing down on Japan. An earthquake occurs when two plates rub against each other or collide, forcing one plate to slide on top of another. As plates move, some pieces may get stuck together, allowing pressure to build. An earthquake occurs when the section that is stuck gives way.
Japan was created millions of years ago by plate shifting. It sits on top of the intersection of the Pacific Plate and at least three other plates: the Eurasian Plate, the Philippine Plate, and a sub plate. All of these plates are continually colliding and grinding against each other, putting Japan in a vulnerable position for earthquakes. Japan experiences hundreds of earthquakes a year, each with a varying magnitude. In the past week alone Japan has experienced approximately fifty minor earthquakes. In 1923, Japan witnessed the most devastating earthquake in its history – The Great Kanto Earthquake. It hit the Kanto plain near Tokyo, resulting in over 100,000 deaths. In 1995, the Southern Hyogo Earthquake (or Great Hanshin Earthquake) hit the city of Kobe, killing 6,000 people and leaving 415,000 others injured.
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