Ring of Fire

Mohammed Al-Fadala

Introduction

            I am researching the Ring of Fire which is the name of an area where there are many earthquakes and volcanoes. The research questions that I am asking is about what the risks are of living on the Ring of Fire and how people address these risks. Questions about the Ring of Fire as a hazard also include why people choose to live in places located along the Ring of Fire and how the people who do live on the Ring of Fire can be safer with a focus on Indonesia. 

            There are themes that have been uncovered about the Ring of Fire as a geological hazard. These themes include that there are many poor and disadvantaged people who live in parts of the Ring of Fire, that many of the disasters caused by the earthquake have human elements such poor construction, and that the people who live along the Ring of Fire are willing to accept the risk of where they live and have a lot of resiliency. 

            I chose the Ring of Fire as the topic for the research for the course because of my interest in this region. I was initially interested in the relationship between earthquakes and tsunamis but have learned that there are other dangers along the Ring of Fire such as the many volcanoes that are located on the Ring of Fire. Additionally, I am curious about how people live in the shadows of risks such as earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanoes. 

 

Annotated Sources

“How Many People Live Around The Pacific Rim of Fire? And Why It Matters!” Integral Risk 

The main point that the author of this article makes is that there are many people who live around the Ring of Fire and that the area is known to be home to some of the most densely populated countries and cities. Some of these places such as San Francisco, San Diego and Santiago, are highly populated and at risk for earthquakes. The article mentions an island in Indonesia, Lombok, that experienced a series of earthquakes in 2018, one of which was a magnitude 6.9 which caused a high level of destruction and loss of life. The article contributes to my knowledge of earthquakes as a hazard with its information about how people have been impacted by the earthquakes and answering the question as to how many people live around the Ring of Fire. I also learned that the majority of volcanoes, at around 75% are located on the Ring of Fire. 

Israel, Brett. “Indonesia’s explosive geology explained.” NBC News, 26 Oct. 2010, 

             https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna39857019 . Accessed 7 Apr. 2022. 

            The main point that author Israel Brett makes in this article is that Indonesia lies in an area that, as the title suggests, is explosive. By explosive the author means that the area is located where tectonic plates come together which can influence earthquakes, while the country is also home to many volcanoes. The article contributes to the research because it offers information about how earthquakes actually occur and I was able to learn about how a large earthquake in Indonesia led to tsunami in the past, and how this area has been impacted by many volcanoes and earthquakes. 

Manchi, Mark. “7 Hot Facts About the Pacific Ring of Fire.” How Stuff Works, 19 May 2021, 

            This main point that this article makes is that there are several interesting facts about the Pacific Ring of Fire. Among these facts are that the Ring of Fire is home to the deepest ocean trench in the world, that the earthquakes on the Ring of Fire are not always interconnected, and that the area is thought of as a great producer of geothermal energy. The article contributes to my knowledge about the Ring of Fire with the interesting facts and I learned that the Ring of Fire got its name based on its shape and learned about the fifteen countries that make up the Ring of Fire.  

Mayberry, Kate. “Indonesia quakes a “wake-up call” on buildings’ shaky foundations.” 

            The main point that author Kate Mayberry makes in this article is that there are buildings in Indonesia that are at risk due to earthquakes. The risk is that the building can collapse and there are examples given of where this has happened such as when there was a 7.5 magnitude earthquake that led to a hotel collapsing, among other buildings. The article contributes to the knowledge I have gained about the potential effects of earthquakes and how humans might be able to control some things. While humans cannot control earthquakes, they can better prepare for them. 

“Why do people in Indonesia still live in disaster-prone areas?” The Conversation, 18 Dec. 2018, 

            The main point of this article is that poor people live in disaster prone areas in Indonesia because of economic reasons. People have their livelihoods in certain locations and to move would likely cause them economic hardship. In other words, the article makes a case that people are willing to take the risk of ling in hazardous areas that have risks such as earthquakes and volcano eruptions. The article helps me to know more about the human aspect of living in hazardous areas and the reasons why people take such risks. The article also identifies additional types of disasters in the country such as landslides and tidal waves.

 

Interpretation and Practical Application

            What I have learned about the Ring of Fire with a focus on Indonesia is that people often live in highly hazardous areas where there are multiple risks. Some people suffer as a result of where they live but the people are also highly resilient. Many people choose to live in the areas because of economic opportunities. It can be claimed that people do put themselves in high-risk positions by living in hazardous areas, but the solutions to this are not so simple. 

            The many vulnerable people could be helped if countries like Indonesia made changes. One of the articles mentions the weakness of buildings that have collapsed, which would suggest that there needs to be new laws or regulations with buildings. There are countries in the world such as Japan that have improved their building over time to help withstand earthquakes, and Indonesia needs to do the same. Other interventions could be for the countries along the Ring of Fire, not just Indonesia, to try and develop economic centers that are at a distance from hazards. While with earthquakes it is hard to know when or where they will strike, the location of volcanoes is known, and government could try to develop areas at a safe distance from them.