Which statement best describes the Ring of Fire?

• A. A belt of seismic activity around the Atlantic Ocean
• B. A belt of volcanic activity around the Indian Ocean
• C. A belt of seismic and volcanic activity around the Pacific Ocean
• D. A zone of tropical storms around the Arctic Ocean

Answer: (C)

The Ring of Fire is a belt of seismic and volcanic activity that rims the Pacific Ocean. This happens because many tectonic plates meet around the Pacific boundary, especially where oceanic crust sinks beneath other plates in subduction zones. The melting of rock and movement at these boundaries fuels volcanoes and triggers frequent earthquakes, creating a nearly continuous ring of activity around the Pacific basin. This pattern explains why a large portion of the world’s earthquakes and volcanoes occur there. It’s not located around the Atlantic or Indian Oceans, and it isn’t related to tropical storms in the Arctic.