WHAT IS THE RING OF FIRE?
* The Ring of Fire is a highly seismically active zone of frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions surrounding the Pacific Ocean. It's also known as the Circum-Pacific belt
* Around 90 per cent of the world's earthquakes occur in this 40,000-kilometre horseshoe-shaped belt
* The string of volcanoes stretches from the southern point of South America, to North America, the Bering Strait, Japan and New Zealand
* Japan sits atop the Ring of Fire and has more than 100 volcanoes
FACTS AND CONCERNS
* More than half of the world's active volcanoes above sea level are in the Ring of Fire
* The largest recorded earthquake occurred in the region - a magnitude 9.5 quake in Chile in 1960
* The Alpide belt is the next most seismic region with five to six per cent of earthquakes. The area extends from the Mediterranean region, eastward through Turkey, Iran and northern India
* Most of the active volcanoes are found in the Ring of Fire's western edge - through the islands of Japan and Southeast Asia to New Zealand
* New Zealand's Mount Ruapehu is one of the most active volcanoes in the Ring of Fire with annual minor eruptions and major eruptions every 50 years
* Some experts believe recent earthquake activity in eastern Japan could put Mount Fuiji, the country's largest mountain and active volcano, in a "critical state"
Source: USGS, National Geographic Society
