Why are 90% of the world's earthquakes in the Pacific Ring of Fire?

The Ring of Fire is dominating the Pacific Ocean. It is a chain of at least 450 volcanoes - active and inactive - forming a horseshoe shape, about 40,000km long.

About 90% of earthquakes occur in the belt of fire. This means that the lives of people in Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea are under constant threat. In addition, there are other island nations such as the Solomon Islands, Fiji and many others such as Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia.

7.3 magnitude earthquake devastated Fukushima prefecture, Japan

Volcanoes form due to the collision of tectonic plates. These plates move endlessly across a layer of partly solid and partly molten rock. This is called the Earth's mantle.

When the plates collide or move away from each other, the Earth will literally move, according to DW radio.

The Pacific Ring of Fire is a direct result of plate tectonics and the movement and collision of Earth's crustal plates. This area is located around the Philippine Sea Plate, Pacific Plate, Juan de Fuca Plate and Cocos Plate, and Nazca Plate.

Many volcanoes in the Ring of Fire form through subduction. Most of the planet's subduction zones are located in the ring of fire.

Subduction occurs when tectonic plates shift and when one plate is pushed under another. This movement of the ocean floor causes "mineral transformation", which leads to the melting and freezing of magma and the formation of volcanoes.

If the upper plate were oceanic, it could create a chain of volcanic islands like the Marianas. This is also where we see Earth's deepest trenches and deepest earthquakes.

According to the US Geological Survey, the worst earthquake in the Ring of Fire as well as in the world occurred in Chile on May 22, 1960. It was a 9.5 magnitude earthquake.

It was followed by the great earthquake in Alaska in 1964 (9.2 on the Richter scale); The North Sumatra earthquake - also known as the Indian Ocean tsunami - on December 26, 2004 (9.1 magnitude) and the one off the east coast of Honshu (Japan) on March 11- 2011 (9.0 on the Richter scale), leading to a tsunami and ultimately the nuclear disaster at Fukushima.

These earthquakes are located in the belt of fire.

Although scientists know the activity that makes up volcanoes, scientists cannot predict earthquakes in the ring of fire.

Currently, the geology of the Pacific Ring of Fire is under constant stress.

Scientists warn people living around the ring of fire to be aware of the danger. People can live further inland, building safer, earthquake-resistant homes. At the same time, countries should improve their land and ocean early warning systems to reduce the risk to life.