North Pacific, November 10 (ANI): An earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale struck the North Pacific Ocean on Monday, according to the National Center for Seismology (NCS). The quake occurred at a shallow depth of 10 km, which makes it more prone to aftershocks and potential surface impact.
In a post on X, the NCS stated, “EQ of M: 6.1, On: 10/11/2025 12:53:18 IST, Lat: 39.64 N, Long: 143.51 E, Depth: 10 Km, Location: North Pacific Ocean.”
Seismologists note that shallow earthquakes are generally more destructive than deeper ones, as the energy released is closer to the Earth’s surface. This results in stronger ground shaking and a higher likelihood of structural damage and casualties.
The world’s most active seismic zone, known as the circum-Pacific seismic belt or the “Ring of Fire,” lies along the rim of the Pacific Ocean. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), about 81 percent of the planet’s largest earthquakes occur along this belt.
This region marks the boundaries where tectonic plates—primarily oceanic crust—subduct beneath other plates, triggering earthquakes due to the slip and rupture between them. Historic events in this belt include the 1960 Valdivia Earthquake in Chile (M9.5) and the 1964 Alaska Earthquake (M9.2), two of the strongest recorded in human history.
Globally, around 500,000 earthquakes are detected every year, of which about 100,000 are felt by people and around 100 cause damage. The Pacific Ring of Fire stretches roughly 40,000 km (25,000 miles) around the Pacific Ocean and is up to 500 km (310 miles) wide.
Geologists note that the current configuration of the Ring of Fire evolved over millions of years, beginning around 115 million years ago in South America, North America, and Asia, followed by Indonesia and New Guinea about 70 million years ago, and finally New Zealand around 35 million years ago. (ANI)
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