Earthquakes are primarily distributed along the edges of Earth's tectonic plates and are not randomly distributed around the globe. Most earthquakes occur in narrow belts that follow the boundaries between tectonic plates, particularly along convergent and divergent plate margins. Major earthquake zones include:
- The Pacific Ring of Fire, which surrounds the Pacific Ocean and affects countries like Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, and the west coasts of North and South America.
- The boundary regions between the Eurasian and Indian plates, such as the Himalayas.
- The Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where plates are diverging.
In contrast, areas located in the interiors of tectonic plates, such as central and eastern Canada, most of Brazil, large parts of Africa, Northern Europe, central Australia, and Siberia, experience few or no earthquakes because they are geologically stable zones.
Thus, earthquakes tend to be concentrated along plate boundaries with high seismic activity, while stable continental interiors experience fewer quakes.
