Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: Pacific Ocean
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
The term Ring of Fire is widely used in geography, geology, and disaster management. It refers to a broad belt of earthquake and volcanic activity that circles a particular ocean. Many major earthquakes and volcanic eruptions in recent history have occurred along this ring. Hence, examinations often test whether students can associate this zone with the correct ocean basin.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
The Ring of Fire is the horseshoe shaped zone that roughly traces the margins of the Pacific Ocean. It runs along the coasts of the Americas on one side and along East Asia and island arcs such as Japan, the Philippines, and New Zealand on the other side. This zone marks active plate boundaries where subduction, collision, and transform faulting lead to intense seismic and volcanic activity.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Japan, Indonesia, New Zealand, Alaska, and the west coasts of North and South America are part of the Ring of Fire.Step 2: Visualise these locations on a world map and note that they all border the Pacific Ocean.Step 3: Recognise that no similar continuous ring of high tectonic activity exists around the Atlantic, Indian, or Arctic Oceans.Step 4: Match this knowledge with the given options.Step 5: Select Pacific Ocean as the correct option.
Verification / Alternative check:
You can also verify by recalling common expressions used in textbooks and media reports. They usually state that the Pacific Ring of Fire is the most seismically and volcanically active zone on Earth. The keyword Pacific before Ring of Fire confirms the association with the Pacific Ocean and leaves no room for doubt.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
The Atlantic Ocean has some mid ocean ridge activity but not a continuous ring near continental coasts of the same scale. The Indian Ocean has local zones of earthquakes but no famous ring that surrounds it. The Arctic Ocean is relatively less active tectonically and is never associated with a major Ring of Fire. Thus these options are not correct.
Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to confuse the term Ring of Fire with general volcanic belts or mid ocean ridges. Some learners may also guess Indian Ocean due to familiarity with local earthquakes. Remembering the full phrase Pacific Ring of Fire and mentally checking a world map will help avoid such errors.
Final Answer:
The famous Ring of Fire mainly surrounds the Pacific Ocean, so that is the correct choice.
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