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Guided map tour · Earth & Climate

Ring of Fire

Japan sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire — a 40,000km horseshoe of seismic and volcanic activity. Mount Fuji (3,776m) last erupted in 1707 and is monitored…

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For teachers

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6 stations on this tour

  1. Mount Fuji — Japan

    Japan sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire — a 40,000km horseshoe of seismic and volcanic activity. Mount Fuji (3,776m) last erupted in 1707 and is monitored 24/7. Japan experiences ~1,500 earthquakes per year.

  2. Krakatoa & Merapi — Indonesia

    Indonesia has 130+ active volcanoes — the most of any country. Krakatoa's 1883 eruption was heard 5,000km away and caused a global temperature drop. The child volcano, Anak Krakatau, triggered a tsunami in 2018.

  3. Cascades Range — USA

    The Cascade Range stretches from BC to California. Mount St. Helens' 1980 eruption killed 57 and was the deadliest in US history. Mount Rainier is considered the most dangerous due to lahar risk threatening 3M+ residents near Tacoma and Seattle.

  4. Andes Volcanoes — South America

    The Andes chain hosts Earth's highest active volcanoes. Cotopaxi (5,897m) in Ecuador is one of the world's most dangerous. Nevado del Ruiz in Colombia killed 23,000 people in 1985 when lahars buried the town of Armero.

  5. Iceland — Mid-Atlantic Ridge

    Iceland sits directly on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge where the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates pull apart. Eyjafjallajökull's 2010 eruption shut down European airspace for 6 days, stranding 10 million travelers. The island has 30+ active volcanic systems.

  6. The Complete Ring Of Fire

    The Pacific Ring of Fire accounts for 75% of all volcanic eruptions and 90% of all earthquakes worldwide. It stretches 40,000km from New Zealand, through Japan, across Alaska, and down the Americas. Over 450 volcanoes line this arc, making it the most geologically active zone on Earth.

Worksheet — Ring of Fire

Name:Class:Date:
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Tasks per station

1. Mount Fuji — Japan

Write down two facts you learned about this place.

2. Krakatoa & Merapi — Indonesia

Why does this place matter? Explain in one or two sentences.

3. Cascades Range — USA

Find this place on a blank map: which country and continent is it in?

4. Andes Volcanoes — South America

Write down two facts you learned about this place.

5. Iceland — Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Why does this place matter? Explain in one or two sentences.

6. The Complete Ring Of Fire

Find this place on a blank map: which country and continent is it in?

Quiz

1. What does the Ring of Fire refer to?
  • ☐ A zone of frequent earthquakes and volcanoes around the Pacific
  • ☐ A solar phenomenon
  • ☐ A wildfire belt in Africa
  • ☐ A deep ocean trench
2. The map shows a massive volcanic caldera. Which supervolcano is this?
  • ☐ Yellowstone
  • ☐ Mount Tambora
  • ☐ Toba
  • ☐ Campi Flegrei
3. Which tectonic plate is the largest?
  • ☐ Pacific Plate
  • ☐ North American Plate
  • ☐ Eurasian Plate
  • ☐ African Plate

Answer key

  1. A zone of frequent earthquakes and volcanoes around the Pacific — The Ring of Fire hosts 75% of the world's active volcanoes.
  2. Yellowstone — Yellowstone's caldera is 72 km long. Its last super-eruption was 640,000 years ago.
  3. Pacific Plate — The Pacific Plate covers ~103 million km² — the largest of all tectonic plates.