The Ring of Fire, also known as the Circum-Pacific Belt, is the path along the Pacific Ocean which is characterised by active volcanoes and frequent earthquakes. The arch is home to the majority of the Earth’s most active volcanoes and is known for being a hotspot of seismic activity because of the subduction of oceanic plates beneath lighter continental plates. The Ring of Fire stretches along a 25,000-mile arc from the boundary of the Pacific plate to smaller plates such as the Philippine Sea plate, to the Cocos and Nazca Plates that line the edge of the Pacific Ocean.
More than 450 volcanoes in total, which is 75 percent of all volcanoes on Earth, are located along the Ring of Fire.
While, 90 percent of Earth’s earthquakes occur along this path, including the planet’s most violent and dramatic seismic events.
The volcanoes and earthquakes along the Ring of Fire are caused by the amount of movement of tectonic plates in the area.
Plates overlap at convergent boundaries called subduction zones along the Ring of Fire, which means the plate that is underneath is pushed down, or subducted, by the plate above.
Ring of Fire map: What does the Indonesia volcano tracker show? (Image: GETTY)
As the rock is subducted, it melts and becomes magma and the abundance of magma so near to the Earth’s surface gives rise to conditions ripe for volcanic activity.
A significant exception is the border between the Pacific and North American plates where there is a transform boundary, meaning the plates move sideways past one another and tends to generate earthquakes as tension in the Earth’s crust builds up and is released.
The Magma Indonesia map charts the earthquakes and volcano eruptions across the region and currently includes several orange and red alerts.
An orange circular alerts show where earthquakes that were more than magnitude 5 struck.
Ring of Fire map: A diagram showing the Ring of Fire (Image: USGS)
The red alerts indicate reports of land movement.
The green, yellow and orange triangular shapes indicate volcanoes across the region.
They are colour-coded according to their volcanic activity.
Green are non-erupting volcanoes is exhibiting typical background activity (including steaming, seismic events, thermal feature, or degassing), as long as such activity is within the range of typical non-eruptive phenomena seen at the volcano.
Ring of Fire map: An overview of all alerts on the Indonesia volcano tracker (Image: MAGMA INDONESIA)
The yellow triangle indicates a volcano exhibiting signs of elevated unrest above known background activity.
Whereas an orange triangle indicates a volcano is exhibiting heightened or escalating unrest with increased potential of eruption, timeframe uncertain or an eruption is underway that poses limited hazards including no or minor volcanic-ash emissions.
Overall, the Magma Indonesia map shows 44 typical green, 14 yellow and four orange triangle volcano signs.
There are also 28 red alerts showing land movement and 27 orange alerts showing where earthquakes above magnitude 5 were recorded.
Ring of Fire map: A map showing the status of volcanoes around Indonesia (Image: MAGMA INDONESIA)
Ring of Fire map: The most dangerous and active volcanoes in the world (Image: EXPRESS.CO.UK)
There are also three erupting yellow volcanoes, which represents a level two alert meaning there is increased volcanic activity which can be clearly observed both visually and by seismicity.
These three volcanoes are: the Anak Krakatau volcano, Mount Ibu volcano and Dukono volcano.
According to Volcano Discovery website, the Krakatau volcano is currently recording “minor activity or eruption warning”.
Krakatoa is infamous for its violent Plinian eruption in 1883 which destroyed the previous volcanic edifice and killed more than 36,000 people.
Ring of Fire map: The Anak Krakatau volcano known as the “child of Krakatoa” in July 2018 (Image: GETTY)
Ring of Fire map: The Dukono volcano spewing ash as seen from the Maluku islands (Image: GETTY)
Anak Krakatau has been the site of frequent eruptions since 1927.
The website also reveals the Ibu volcano is currently erupting – with live webcam images showing thick, black smoke billowing out the crater’s top.
The Dukono volcano is also currently erupting, according to Volcano Discovery.
The report read: “Explosive activity continues. Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) Darwin warned about a volcanic ash plume that rose up to estimated 7000 ft (2100 m) altitude or flight level 070 and is moving at 10 kts in W direction.”