BriefTea
Every story in sixty words
Get the free app no ads · no paywallExplained in plain English
The 'Ring of Fire' is a horseshoe-shaped area in the Pacific Ocean basin where a large number of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur. Colombia sits on its eastern edge, making it prone to seismic activity like this recent quake. It's where several major tectonic plates meet and interact.
Related explainers
How do building codes work? How do buildings cope? What causes earthquakes? What are early warning systems? How are earthquakes measured? How fast do plates move? Why do plates move? How does soil type affect damage?The full catalogue
Browse every card filed under R →We would like to count visits and see which links bring readers here. That means storing a random ID in your browser. No cookies, no ads, no profile. How it works.