Ring of fire or circum-Pacific Belt

Geography ,short notes( Plate , Plate boundaries, Ring of fire, Subduction zone)Geography ,short notes( Plate , Plate boundaries, Ring of fire, Subduction zone)

Ring of fire or circum-Pacific Belt 
There are two major regions of earthquake  activity. one is Circum- Pacific belt, which encircles the Pacific ocean and other is the Alpide belt which slices through Europe and Asia.The Circum- Pacific belt or Ring of fire includes the West costs of North America and South America,Japan and the Phillipines.

Ring of fire or circum-Pacific Belt: The Pacific Ocean region has more earthquakes and volcanic activity than any other area of the world. For this reason this region has been named Ring of fire or Circum-Pacific belt. About 90% of all earthquakes and volcanic eruption occur there.





Geologists came to the conclusion in 1960's that the Earth's rigid outer layer was not a single piece, but was broken up into 12 large pieces called Plates.

Plate: The Earth's crust is broken into many pieces called Plate.

Plates are two types.

1. Oceanic Plate
2. Continental PlateGeography ,short notes( Plate , Plate boundaries, Ring of fire, Subduction zone)

Plate Boundaries:There are Three types of Plate boundaries:

Convergent boundaries: two plates collide together to form mountains or a Subduction zone.

Convergent Boundary

Divergent boundaries:two plates move in opposite directions as in Mid-Ocean ridge.

Divergent boundary

Transform boundaries: Two plates slide past each other as in San Andreas fault of California.

Transform boundary

 Subduction zone: When a Continental plate overrides Oceanic plate, the Oceanic Plate gets driven down and a Subduction zone forms.

 Subduction zone