Is a massive tremor on the way? Ring of Fire activity returns as a series of earthquakes shake California and Alaska

  • Near the end of January, a slew of Ring of Fire activity took place in many places 
  • Alaska experienced an earthquake and a volcano erupted in the Philippines
  • At the time, the UN tweeted that the Pacific Ring of Fire was 'active'
  • Now, eight earthquakes have shaken the US with several close to the Ring of Fire
  • Three earthquakes struck in California with others in Alaska, Nebraska, Texas

A series of earthquakes shook the US yesterday with several hitting worryingly close to the Ring of Fire, sparking fears a massive tremor could be on the way.

The most powerful of this latest cluster - which also shook Alaska and California - came in Perry, Oklahoma, where a 4.3 magnitude tremor struck.  

This follows on from a flurry of earthquakes in California at the weekend, with experts warning residents to 'get those earthquake preparedness kits ready'.

Both California and Alaska are on the much-feared Ring of Fire - the most active fault-line in the world.

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The most powerful of this latest cluster came in Perry, Oklahoma, where a 4.3 magnitude tremor struck. Three earthquakes struck in California with others in Alaska, Nebraska, Texas

The most powerful of this latest cluster came in Perry, Oklahoma, where a 4.3 magnitude tremor struck. Three earthquakes struck in California with others in Alaska, Nebraska, Texas

The latest earthquake struck in Perry on 9 April at 5:20am CST (12:20pm GMT) with tremors felt as far as  17 miles (27km) southwest.

In the last 24 hours three earthquakes struck in California with others felt in Alaska, Nebraska and Texas, writes the Express

Since 6 April there have been at least 16 noticeable earthquakes in Oklahoma, according to the Geologic Survey. 

There were 13 quakes over the weekend but no reports of injury or serious damage. 

A 5.3 magnitude earthquake struck near the Channel Islands on Thursday and was the strongest in Southern California for several years.

Although it did not cause any major damage, the quake did cause minor landslides and earth movement on Santa Cruz Island.

'A 5.3 could be damaging if it was right under our feet,' John Vidale, director of the Southern California Earthquake Center told the LA Times.

'It's right on the edge of being an earthquake that could be dangerous. It's a reminder that we need to be ready in the future.'

The tremor occurred just before 12:30 PST (19:30 GMT) near Santa Cruz Island, 90 miles (145km) west of downtown Los Angeles.

Dr Vidale predicted there was a 1-in-20 chance the quake could lead to a larger one in the coming weeks.

The Los Angeles Police Department tweeted; '#Earthquake follow-up: There have been no reports of earthquake-related damage or injuries within the City of Los Angeles.

'Our region hasn't shook like that since 2014. This should serve as a steadfast reminder to act now, get those earthquake preparedness kits ready.'

The Los Angeles Police Department tweeted; '#Earthquake follow-up: There have been no reports of earthquake-related damage or injuries within the City of Los Angeles

The Los Angeles Police Department tweeted; '#Earthquake follow-up: There have been no reports of earthquake-related damage or injuries within the City of Los Angeles

WHAT IS EARTH'S RING OF FIRE?

The Ring of Fire is a horseshoe-shaped geological disaster zone and hotbed of tectonic and volcanic activity.

Roughly 90 per cent of the world's earthquakes occur in the belt, which is also home to more than 450 volcanoes. 

The seismic region stretches along the Pacific Ocean coastlines, where the Pacific Plate grinds against other plates that form the Earth's crust.

It loops from New Zealand to Chile, passing through the coasts of Asia and the Americas on the way. 

In total, the loop makes up a 25,000-mile-long (40,000km) zone prone to frequent earthquakes and eruptions.

The region is susceptible to disasters because it is home to a vast number of 'subduction zones', areas where tectonic plates overlap.

Earthquakes are triggered when these plates scrape or slide underneath one another. When that happens at sea it can spawn tsunamis. 

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In February another flurry of earthquakes hit the Earth's Pacific plate, renewing fears a massive tremor is on the way after four disasters jolted the region in January.

Quakes have hit near Japan, Guam and Taiwan around the planet's so-called 'Ring of Fire', a horseshoe-shaped zone that is a hotbed for tectonic and volcanic activity.

At the time, some suggested the frequency and proximity of the tremors are signs of a bigger earthquake to come.

However, experts claimed events around the Ring of Fire are rarely linked and that in most cases adjacent disasters are a coincidence.

Following from January's events, a 6.4 magnitude earthquake (pictured) struck Taiwan's east coast on February 6, killing 17 people and injuring at least 180. Some have suggested the frequency and proximity of the tremors are signs of a bigger earthquake to come

Following from January's events, a 6.4 magnitude earthquake (pictured) struck Taiwan's east coast on February 6, killing 17 people and injuring at least 180. Some have suggested the frequency and proximity of the tremors are signs of a bigger earthquake to come

After a series of quakes hit the Ring of Fire in January, a 6.4 quake struck Taiwan's east coast on February 6, killing 17 people and injuring at least 180.

A series of tremors reaching magnitude 5.7, 5.6, 5.4 and 4.9 shook the US island territory of Guam in February.

And since February 11, three earthquakes have struck Japan: A 4.8 magnitude quake 103 kilometres from Hachijo, a 4.5 magnitude quake 55 kilometres from Nemuro, and a 4.5 magnitude earthquake 103 kilometres from Tokunoshima.

But scientists say such activity is normal for the Ring of Fire, adding that there is no chance of a 'domino effect' triggering a larger quake.

'The Pacific Rim is in a period of activity,' Toshiyasu Nagao, head of Tokyo-based Tokai University's Earthquake Prediction Research Centre, told Japan Times at the time.

'In terms of volcanic history, however, the current activity is still regarded as normal.' 

Dr Janine Krippner, a volcanologist at Concord University in Athens, West Virginia, tweeted: 'It's not referred to as the 'ring of fire' because it sits there doing nothing ... it is normal to have so much activity.'

On January 22, Mount Mayon in the Philippines sent lava more than 600 metres into the air, and over 61,000 people were forced to evacuate from nearby villages as thick smoke descended from the mountain

On January 22, Mount Mayon in the Philippines sent lava more than 600 metres into the air, and over 61,000 people were forced to evacuate from nearby villages as thick smoke descended from the mountain

At least four natural disasters jolted the Pacific Rim in January, including a 7.9 magnitude earthquake in Kodiak, Alaska, which sparked a tsunami warning.

A 6.4 quake hit Indonesia the same week, and Mount Kusatsu-Shirane in Japan erupted, killing one and injuring 15.

The Indonesian island of Java was hit by the 6.4 magnitude earthquake on January 23, forcing thousands to evacuate

The Indonesian island of Java was hit by the 6.4 magnitude earthquake on January 23, forcing thousands to evacuate

Also in January, Mount Mayon in the Philippines sent lava 600 metres (1,970 ft) into the air, forcing 61,000 people to evacuate from nearby villages as thick smoke descended from the mountain.

Some researchers, however, said that this string of events in January were not connected.

'There's not really likely to be any connection,' Professor Chris Elders, a geologist at Curtin University in Perth, Australia, told The New Daily

'While they do indeed have the same origin - the Ring of Fire - these recent events are a coincidence. 

'The region itself is a breeding ground for seismic activity.'

Roughly 90 per cent of the world's earthquakes occur in the Ring of Fire - a Pacific region home to three in four of the world's active volcanoes. 

A 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck off Alaska's Kodiak Island early on Tuesday, January 23, prompting a tsunami warning for a large swath of the state's coast and sending some residents fleeing to higher ground. Pictured are residents in Kodiak, Alaska driving for higher ground

A 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck off Alaska's Kodiak Island early on Tuesday, January 23, prompting a tsunami warning for a large swath of the state's coast and sending some residents fleeing to higher ground. Pictured are residents in Kodiak, Alaska driving for higher ground

The ring loops from New Zealand to Chile, passing through the coasts of Asia and the Americas on the way.

The region is susceptible to disasters because it is home to a vast number of 'subduction zones', areas where tectonic plates overlap. 

Following from January's events, a 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck Taiwan's east coast on February 6, causing a hotel to collapse and injuring at least 180 people and killing 17.

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