Ring Of Fire Strikes Again, Earthquake Fears Intensify As Papua New Guinea Hit With Huge Quake
The Ring of Fire is awake. Another earthquake struck in Papua New Guinea on February 24, and this one was a huge 7.5 magnitude. Amid tsunami fears after the giant quake, officials reassured residents of the affected areas. The Express reported that the United States Geological Survey confirmed that this earthquake, although very big, would not cause a tsunami.
The latest in a series of earthquakes around the Ring of Fire struck Papua New Guinea close to the center of the Pacific island nation. Tremors from the quake, which hit at 23 miles below the surface of the earth, were felt by residents throughout a wide region.
At least 11 smaller quakes struck following the initial large one. Although they were of lesser magnitude, they still averaged five on the scale used to measure the impact of earthquakes, and people are getting scared that it’s time for the Big One to strike.
Only hours before the Papua New Guinea earthquake, Japan was hit by a 5.5 magnitude quake, and The Sun previously reported that in the last few weeks, earthquakes have struck Japan, Mexico, and Taiwan.
Thousands were displaced and hundreds of people were injured in the quakes that toppled buildings and destroyed homes.
Both in Alaska and Southern California residents have been anxiously noting increased tremors this year, with a January quake several miles off the coast of Alaska sending people fleeing a possible Tsunami.
The Express reported that fears that the “Big One earthquake is on the way” are growing amid the increased seismic activity.
One frightened person tweeted that it’s the earthquakes you hear first that are the truly terrifying ones.
Earthquakes are weird. I've only experienced a few where I was genuinely scared.
It's the ones where you hear the earthquake before the shaking starts because those are the ones that you know you're going for a ride.
— BLH (Edmonton Oilers Enthusiast} (@BeerLeagueHeroe) February 25, 2018
The Ring of Fire includes all the countries that “ring” the Pacific Ocean, from Mexico and Southern California to Alaska, from Hawaii to Papua New Guinea. It’s a volatile area where more than half of the world’s above-ground volcanoes are located and most earthquakes happen.
Earthquakes and volcano eruptions are signs that the earth’s enormous tectonic plates are moving and pushing into each other, causing the earth to shake.
In the aftermath of the New Guinea quake, aid organizations say that their communication systems are compromised and it’s difficult to assess just how much damage there is.
