PACIFIC’S RING OF FIRE.

• Recently, Mount Semeru volcano of Indonesia erupted which killed at least 14 persons and left dozens injured.
• The last time it erupted was in December 2020.

Important points:

• Semeru, also known as the Great Mountain – is the highest volcano in Java and one of the most active.
• Semeru volcano is also the part of the Island arcs formed by the subduction of the Indo-Australian plate below Sunda Plate (part of Eurasian Plate).
• The trench formed here is called Sunda trench whose major section is the Java Trench.
• Indonesia, with the maximum number of active volcanoes in the world, is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the Pacific’s Ring of Fire.
• The Ring of Fire, also referred to as the Circum-Pacific Belt, is a path along the Pacific Ocean characterized by active volcanoes and frequent earthquakes.
• Its length is approximately 40,000 kilometers. It traces boundaries between several tectonic plates—including the Pacific, Cocos, Indian-Australian, Nazca, North American, and Philippine Plates.
• 75% of Earth’s volcanoes i.e. more than 450 volcanoes are located along the Ring of Fire. 90% of Earth’s earthquakes occur along its path, including the planet’s most violent and dramatic seismic events.

SOURCE: THE HINDU,THE ECONOMIC TIMES,MINT