Where do volcanoes and earthquakes happen?
The map below shows the location of active volcanoes and major earthquakes.
The global distribution of earthquakes and volcanoes
Volcanoes and earthquakes do not happen randomly across the Earth’s surface. Instead, they mainly occur in narrow bands along tectonic plate boundaries – the edges where the Earth’s plates meet and interact.
Global Distribution
Most volcanic and earthquake activity happens:
- On land and under the sea, along plate margins.
- Around the Pacific Ocean, forming a horseshoe-shaped zone called the Pacific Ring of Fire. This area is one of the most active for both earthquakes and volcanoes.
- Along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a long underwater mountain range where new crust is formed and volcanic activity is common.
- At volcanic hotspots, which are unusual because they form away from plate boundaries. Hotspots occur where the Earth’s crust is thinner, allowing magma to rise to the surface. A good example is Hawaii.
Types of Plate Margins and Activity
Earthquakes occur at all three types of plate margins:
- Constructive (plates move apart)
- Destructive (plates move towards each other)
- Conservative (plates slide past each other)
Volcanoes mainly form at:
- Constructive margins, like the Mid-Atlantic Ridge
- Destructive margins, such as the Andes in South America
- An exception to this is hotspot volcanoes, which can occur in the middle of tectonic plates.
Consider the relationship between the map above, which shows where plates meet, and the map below, which displays the most recent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
