One of the topics discussed during your elementary and/or high school years at your Science class was about volcanoes, volcanic activity and how the Philippines is somehow included it what is called the ‘Ring of Fire’. Here’s a refresher of things you should know as per National Geographic:
450 volcanoes. The ‘Ring of Fire’ coins its name as 75% of the earth’s volcanoes that outline the Pacific Ocean holds the record of the world’s most active seismic and volcanic activities.
25,000 miles. The ‘Ring of Fire’ stretches across 25,000 miles or approximately 40,000 kilometers, covering parts of the countries including New Zealand, Indonesia, Japan, Russia and Alaska’s Bering Strait, North America, South America, and the Philippines.
Tectonic Plates. The ‘Ring of Fire’ likewise covers the moving sections of the earth’s crust which are the primary cause of the earthquakes. The area extends around the edge of the Pacific plate mentioned in the previous point,, but also includes Eurasian, North American, Juan de Fuca, Cocos, Caribbean, Nazca, Antarctic, Indian, Australian, Philippine, and other smaller plates, which all encircle the large Pacific Plate.
9.5 magnitude. The Ring of Fire was also world’s strongest recorded earthquake hit 9.5 on the Richter scale during the Valdivia Earthquake of Chile that took place in 1960.
Largest volcanic eruption. Mount Tambora of Indonesia, which is also part of the Ring of Fire holds the record for the largest volcanic eruption in history when it erupted in 1815.
47 times. Philippines’ Mayon Volcano is the most active volcano in the country, having erupted to a record number of 47 times since 1616.
