Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
result is a volcanic eruption. Thus, the geography of subduction largely determines the geography of
volcanoes.
Figure 6-8:
The
process of sub-
duction.
“The Ring of Fire”
Zones of subduction occur in many parts of the world, but are especially prevalent around the shores
of the Pacific Ocean. For that reason, the Pacific Rim has an extraordinarily high concentration of
active volcanoes and is known as “The Ring of Fire.” Locations include the western coast of South
America, the western fringe of Central America, the U.S. Pacific Northwest, much of coastal Alaska
from the Anchorage area westward through the Aleutian Islands, Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula,
Japan, The Philippines, and Indonesia. As is the case with earthquakes, billions of people worldwide
are directly or indirectly at risk, especially so in “The Ring of Fire.”
Subduction: Another four-letter word?
Subduction is another example of that four-letter word: slow. As a result, the build-up of pres-
sure and the basic “stuff” of an eruption are slow. Therefore, volcanic eruptions happen infre-
quently, as do earthquakes. And in a sense, that's the really nasty thing about volcanoes: They
erupt so infrequently.
The Hawaiian “hot spot”
Hawaii is clearly a “hot spot” as regards to tourism, but that moniker applies in another
way, too. Hawaii is the most volcanically active place on Earth. In most cases, subduction
