Is the 6.6 magnitude earthquake in the Pacific Rim affecting Vietnam?

The 6.6 magnitude earthquake that occurred on the morning of May 27 shook sparsely populated areas, including the islands of Kao and Tofua .

A 6.6 magnitude earthquake shook the Pacific nation of Tonga on the morning of May 27, according to information from the US Geological Survey (USGS).

6.6 magnitude earthquake in the Pacific rim on the morning of May 27 (Photo: Terra Metrics).

The earthquake occurred at 9:47 a.m. local time from a depth of about 112km. The earthquake's epicenter was in waters about 198km north of Tonga's capital Nuku'alofa, according to USGS.

The quake shook sparsely populated areas, including the islands of Kao and Tofua. However, the USGS has not found a risk of a tsunami in this area.

With a distance of more than 9,200km to the epicenter, Vietnam was not affected by this earthquake . However, experts warn that earthquakes or volcanic eruptions on the Pacific Ring of Fire could cause a chain reaction, causing a series of other tectonic plates to become fragile and cause tremors. shock.

Previously, from late March to early April, there were consecutive earthquakes recorded in Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Japan and Taiwan. These are all areas located on the Pacific Ring of Fire - a collection of ocean trenches, archipelagos and volcanic chains with a length of about 40,000km.

In the past 10 years, this area has witnessed about 90% of the world's earthquakes.

The Pacific Ring of Fire is a place where earthquakes often occur (Photo: USGS).

According to geological experts, this belt often has volcanoes because tectonic plates stack on top of each other and converge at subduction points. There, the lower plates are pushed down by the upper plates and sink into the Earth's mantle.

Gradually over time, these plates melt and become magma. When molten magma erupts to the surface through cracks in the Earth's crust, it creates volcanoes.

Scientists believe that climate change is one of the factors that has increased the phenomenon of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions in recent years, due to the relationship between rainfall and seismic activity.

This happens when some areas experience drought, causing the subsoil to become unstable and more magma to form. In addition, melting ice in the polar regions is also likely to increase volcanic activity in the future.