Pacific ring of fire: Noteworthy earthquakes, 2016

The Pacific “ring of fire” is a volatile tectonic region that accounts for 95 percent of the world’s tremors

Japan, Nov 21: Magnitude 7.4 quake strikes near Fukushima, where earthquake and tsunami killed 18,000 people in 2011

EURASIAN PLATE

Direction of plate movement

AUSTRALIAN

Indonesia, Mar 2: Magnitude 7.8

New Caledonia, Aug 12: Magnitude 7.2

ANTARCTIC

Japan

Northern Mariana Islands, Jul 29: Magnitude 7.7

PHILIPPINE

Vanuatu, Apr 28: Magnitude 7.0

New Zealand, Nov 13: Magnitude 7.8 quake kills two people and raises sea floor by as much as 6m

PACIFIC PLATE

Hawaii

Strike-slip fault: Plates shift either side of vertical fault

Convergence fault: One plate pushed under another as they move towards each other

Ecuador, Apr 16: Magnitude 7.8 quake hits remote area, killing around 670 people and injuring over 27,700

NORTH AMERICAN PLATE

CARIBBEAN

COCOS

SOUTH AMERICAN

NAZCA

Source: USGS, NOAA, wire agencies