In this combination of photos, from left to right: Shinmoedake volcano in southwestern Japan on Oct. 12, 2017; Mount Agung in Bali on Oct. 8, 2017; Manaro volcano on Vanuatu on Oct. 1, 2017. The horse shoe shaped string of
In this combination of photos, from left to right: Shinmoedake volcano in southwestern Japan on Oct. 12, 2017; Mount Agung in Bali on Oct. 8, 2017; Manaro volcano on Vanuatu on Oct. 1, 2017. The horse shoe shaped string of active volcanos bounding the Pacific Ocean has lived up to its “Ring of Fire” calling card in the past month, sparking mass evacuations in Indonesia and Vanuatu and now setting parts of south-western Japan on edge. The 450 or so volcanos that make up the Ring of Fire are an outline of where the massive Pacific Plate is grinding against other plates that make up the earth’s crust, creating a 40,000 kilometer-long (25,000 mile) zone prone to frequent earthquakes and eruptions. (Kyodo, Vanuatu Meteorological and GeoHazards Department via AP)
