If you’ve ever wondered why so many earthquakes and volcanoes seem to happen around the Pacific, there’s a reason! It’s all thanks to a fiery stretch of the planet called the "Ring of Fire."

The Pacific Ring of Fire is a horseshoe-shaped zone of intense geological activity that encircles the edges of the Pacific Ocean. Stretching over 25,000 miles, this region is characterized by frequent earthquakes and numerous active volcanoes.

In fact, the Ring of Fire is home to about 75% of the world’s active and dormant volcanoes and approximately 90% of the world's earthquakes. Countries affected by this tectonically active zone include Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the west coasts of North and South America, and several Pacific island nations.

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This high level of seismic and volcanic activity is primarily due to the movement of several major (and minor) tectonic plates, including the Pacific Plate. Along the Ring of Fire, the edges of these plates converge, diverge, or slide past each other, creating subduction zones, rift zones, and transform faults.

Subduction zones, where one tectonic plate is forced beneath another into the mantle, are particularly common in the Ring of Fire. These zones are hotspots for both powerful earthquakes and explosive volcanic eruptions.

The geological activity of the Ring of Fire has shaped the landscape and ecosystems of the surrounding regions, but it also poses significant hazards to human populations. Cities located near fault lines or volcanoes are vulnerable to catastrophic events such as tsunamis, lava flows, and ground shaking.

Despite these dangers, many of these areas remain heavily populated due to fertile volcanic soils, abundant natural resources and coastal locations. With that said, understanding and monitoring the Ring of Fire remains a crucial focus for geologists and disaster preparedness efforts worldwide.

Fun Facts, according to the USGS:

• More than 80% of the Earth's surface (above and below sea level) is of volcanic origin.
• The U.S. ranks third, behind Indonesia and Japan, in the number of historically active volcanoes.

Jennifer Gray is a weather and climate writer for weather.com. She has been covering some of the world's biggest weather and climate stories for the last two decades.