The Ring of Fire is the “earthquake capital” of the world. It stretches from the tip of South America, up the coast of North America, across the Bering Strait and down through Japan, the Philippines and New Zealand. Because it is almost entirely comprised of subduction zones and transform faults (like the San Andreas), it generates the vast majority of the world’s seismic energy. About 90% of all earthquakes and 81% of the world’s largest earthquakes occur along this belt. This concentration is a direct result of the Pacific Plate being recycled into the mantle, a process that creates immense friction and pressure.