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Japan Earthquake
Context
A strong earthquake recently struck the Kyushu region in southwestern Japan. The earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 6.9 and occurred at a depth of 30 km.
Why Japan Faces Earthquakes?
- Japan lies along the Ring of Fire, a region known for frequent earthquakes and volcanoes.
- This area includes several countries around the Pacific Ocean, such as the USA, Indonesia, Mexico, Japan, and others.
- The Ring of Fire is about 40,250 km long.
What is the Ring of Fire?
- The Ring of Fire is a zone around the Pacific Ocean where many tectonic plates meet.
- It is home to hundreds of volcanoes and earthquake sites.
- The region’s seismic activity is caused by interactions between tectonic plates, which are huge pieces of the Earth's crust that are constantly moving.
- Why Does the Ring of Fire Experience Earthquakes? Earthquakes happen when tectonic plates slide past, collide with, or move beneath each other. The edges of these plates can get stuck due to their rough surfaces, and earthquakes occur when they finally unstick.
In Japan, four tectonic plates are involved in these movements: the Pacific Plate, Philippine Sea Plate, Okhotsk Plate, and Eurasian Plate.
Why Are There So Many Volcanoes in the Ring of Fire?
- Volcanoes in the Ring of Fire form because of a process called subduction.
- The Ring of Fire is home to the world’s most active subduction zones, where this process occurs.
- This happens when one tectonic plate (usually an oceanic plate) slides beneath another plate, causing it to melt and form magma.
- The magma rises through the Earth's surface, creating volcanoes.
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