Pacific Ring Of Fire Research Paper

Over the years, earthquakes have acted as one of the most lethal calamity in the world among other disasters. They have claimed millions of lives and numerous properties in the world since documentation of the earthquakes begun. Naturally, some areas have never experienced any earthquakes while other areas are said to be precisely in the hot zone where the probability of occurrence remains high. In the recent past, about 500,000 earthquakes are reported to happen every year. Of this, a human being can feel just 20% with the rest 400,000 earthquakes remaining mild. Some of the places that experience mild earthquakes include Mexico, Chile, New Zealand and Italy. “The frequency of larger earthquakes is less compared to the mild earthquakes” (Geoscience …show more content…
(Ring of Fire, n.d.)” It is about 40,000 kilometers long and bounds most parts of the Pacific plate. The frequency of earthquakes is vital so they have have to ensure the protective strategies to develop in order to avoid massive loss of life in the world. Emerging megacities that lie in zones of high seismic risk have been put on high alert by most of the experts. Such cities include Mexico and Tokyo with records showing that an estimated 3 million humans would lose lives if an earthquake happened in these …show more content…
The effects are also long term and short term depending on the intensity of the earthquake. Earthquakes also affect the environment as they cause changes in the natural ecosystem. Although there is always a loss of lives and property, the earthquakes also have other devastating effects on the people. Displacement of people as a result of earthquakes is a common trend in most countries hit by this calamity. People have to move from the areas at risk to low-risk areas to avoid any subsequent experiences. Such calamities also affect the political and economic system of the country in which they occur. “Earthquakes can affect the economy of a country because production of goods and services will be interfered with during the earthquake “(USGS, 2012). Political systems are also affected due to the diverse opinions brought about by such disasters. On the environment, “earthquakes may cause landslides, tsunamis, and volcanic activity” (USGS, 2012). If earthquakes occur in the ocean, for example, tsunamis will be experienced because of the waves generated by the seismic waves. Movement of the crust below the sea will cause shifts of large water volumes that ultimately cause tsunamis. Earthquakes may also trigger inactive volcanoes to become active and also cause earth plates to slide