The Ring of Fire, coinciding with the edges of one of the world's main tectonic plates, (the Pacific Plate) contains over 450 volcanoes and is home to approximately 75% of the world's active volcanoes.
Nearly 90% of the world's earthquakes occur along the Ring of Fire; most recently, the devasting quakes in Chile, Japan and New Zealand.
Volcanoes and Earthquakes of note:
Christchurch Earthquake, New Zealand
- Mount Saint Helens, Washington, USA
- Mount Pinatubo, Philippines
- Mt. Fuji, Japan
- Paricutin Volcano, Mexico
- Santiago Earthquake, Chile
- Sendai Earthquake, Japan
Quoted from The American Dream,
Saturday, March 12, 2011Was The Magnitude 8.9 Earthquake In Japan A Sign That The Ring Of Fire Is Coming To Life?
Please pray for Japan. The footage of the devastation caused by the magnitude 8.9 earthquake in Japan is absolutely heartbreaking. It was the worst earthquake in the history of Japan, and it was one of the five largest earthquakes that has ever been recorded. The magnitude 8.9 earthquake unleashed a tsunami that was absolutely unprecedented in that part of the world. 30 foot walls of water swept as much as 6 miles inland. Cars and homes were pushed along by the rushing water as if they were toys for children. Since the initial quake, there has been over 100 aftershocks of magnitude 5.0 or greater. Hundreds of dead bodies have been discovered so far, and according to one report, 88,000 people are currently missing. There is no telling how high the death toll will eventually be. Large areas of land are now completely under water and 4.4 million households in northeastern Japan do not have electricity. So will we see more earthquakes like this? Are there other signs that the “Ring of Fire” is coming to life?
If you have never heard of the “Ring of Fire”, now would be a great time to start learning about it. Sadly, we will probably be hearing a whole lot more about it in the months to come. The following is how Wikipedia defines the “Ring of Fire”….
The Pacific Ring of Fire (or sometimes just the Ring of Fire) is an area where large numbers of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur in the basin of the Pacific Ocean. In a 40,000 km (25,000 mi) horseshoe shape, it is associated with a nearly continuous series of oceanic trenches, volcanic arcs, and volcanic belts and/or plate movements.
Approximately 90 percent of the earthquakes in the world occur along the Ring of Fire. About 75 percent of the world’s volcanoes lie along the Ring of Fire.
Do you remember the December 26, 2004 Indonesian tsunami? That happened along the Ring of Fire. Also, the 8.8 earthquake that struck central Chile last February was on the Ring of Fire as well.
But this earthquake in Japan was the most dramatic event that we have had along the Ring of Fire in ages….
So is there evidence that the rest of the Ring of Fire is coming to life?
Well, consider the following facts….
Last month, a large earthquake absolutely devastated Christchurch, New Zealand.
Two massive volcanoes in the Kamchatka region of Russia erupted at almost the exact same moment when the massive magnitude 8.9 earthquake struck Japan.
One of the most active volcanoes in Indonesia, Mount Karangetang, erupted just a couple of hours after the earthquake hit Japan.
The Fuego volcano in Guatemala exloded back in late February.
800 meter high ash plumes rose from the Santiaguito volcano in Guatemala near the end of February.
A number of other volcanoes along the Ring of Fire have been erupting recently.
Although not on the Ring of Fire, Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano is also in the Pacific Ocean and it has also been extremely active lately. It shot lava 65 feet into the air last weekend.
2011 is just continuing a trend of increased activity along the Ring of Fire that began last year. It turns out that 2010 was a banner year for volcanic eruptions around the Ring of Fire.
The west coast of the United States is also along the Ring of Fire. Last year, over 2000 earthquakes struck southern California in just one week.
A magnitude 8.8 earthquake rattled central Chile last February and produced a tsunami that killed 524 people.
Sadly, the list of examples could go on and on and on.
The truth is that there are reports of significant earthquakes and significant volcano eruptions somewhere in the world almost every single day now.
If you have been thinking that it sure seems like there have been more natural disasters recently you are not imagining things.
The truth is that the number of earthquakes and the number of volcano eruptions have definitely been increasing.
Of course there are some “naysayers” in the scientific community that are still trying to insist that all of this is perfectly “normal” and that the reason why more quakes and more eruptions are being reported is because we have gotten so much better at detecting them.
So are you buying that?
To most of the rest of us it is very clear that the earth is waking up.
So why is this happening?
Well, there are dozens of theories for it that are being floated around the Internet:
For example, some are blaming the earthquake in Japan on the “supermoon” phenomenon. Those promoting this theory note that the 2004 Indonesian tsunami also occurred just about the time of a “supermoon”.
Others that have studied the 2012 phenomenon are warning that the earthquake we have just seen in Japan is an example of the increased geological instability we will be witnessing as we approach that date.
Still others say that this is evidence that Bible prophecy is being fulfilled. For example, Jesus warned us in Matthew 24:7 that earthquakes would be one of the signs of the last days: “For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.”
But however you want to explain it, the truth is that it is becoming increasingly clear that the earth is becoming very unstable.
So can something like we just saw in Japan happen inside the United States?
Well, as I have written about previously, the New Madrid fault could potentially come to life at any time. A massive earthquake along that fault someday would absolutely devastate the center of the nation.
Also, there is the constant threat that the “big one” could finally strike California. California sits right along the Ring of Fire and many are convinced that someday a gigantic earthquake will permanently change the geography of that state. The truth is that California is way overdue for a large quake. An article in Time Magazine last year noted the following….
California has more than 300 faults running beneath its surface, including the massive San Andreas Fault, yet the quake to end all quakes has yet to occur. In 1980, a federal report declared the likelihood of a major earthquake striking California within the next 30 years to be “well in excess of 50%.”
The world is becoming a very unstable place, and disaster can strike at any time. When things do go sour, it is those that have prepared that are going to have the best chance to make it through.
As the people of Japan have discovered, natural disasters can dramatically change our lives in a single day.
It is only a matter of time until a major disaster hits the United States.
When that happens will you be ready?
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