Ring of Fire

American  

noun

Geology.

1. Also called Circum-Pacific belt.  the linear zone of seismic and volcanic activity that coincides in general with the margins of the Pacific Plate.

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Etymology

Origin of Ring of Fire

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Ring of Fire

Indonesia, a Southeast Asian archipelago nation, sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where the meeting of continental plates causes high volcanic and seismic activity.

From Barron's ● Sep. 6, 2026

“Taiwan’s geography adds another layer of vulnerability, as the Pacific Ring of Fire exposes production to earthquakes, tsunamis and severe weather events,” says Helfstein.

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 16, 2026

Sitting in the arc of intense seismic activity called the "Pacific Ring of Fire", the Philippines endures daily earthquakes and is hit by an average of 20 typhoons each year.

From Barron's ● Dec. 29, 2025

Made up of thousands of islands, the Philippines sits in the so-called Ring of Fire, a seismic arc of volcanoes and fault lines around the Pacific basin that also includes Indonesia and Japan.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2025

Because these faults produce volcanic activity, the arc has become known as the Ring of Fire.

From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland