Answer to Question #146214 in Physical geography for Javier

Question

What makes the Pacific Plate Rim a ring of fire? Explain why the most powerful earthquakes happen on the Pacific Ocean Rim? Explain the relationship between tsunami and earthquakes.

Answer 1

Huge amount of tectonic plates movement makes the Pacific Plate Rim a ring of fire.

The most powerful earthquakes happen on the Pacific Ocean Rim for the same reason: since there are many volcanos and the plates are moving, the mechanical stress within the plates causes the strongest earthquakes.

Earthquake is motion of plates. It can be compared to shaking a plate with water: the stronger you shake your plate, the higher waves you may achieve.