Pacific Ring of Fire
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{{Redirect|The Ring of Fire| |Ring of Fire}}
[[Image:Pacific Ring of Fire.png|thumb|300px|The Pacific Ring of Fire]]
The '''Pacific Ring of Fire''' is an area of frequent [[earthquake]]s and [[volcanic]] eruptions encircling the basin of the [[Pacific Ocean]]. In a 40,000 km horseshoe shape, it is associated with a nearly continuous series of [[oceanic trench]]es, [[volcanic arc]]s, and [[volcanic belt]]s and/or plate movements. The Ring of Fire has 452 volcanoes and is home to over 75% of the world's active and [[dormant volcano]]es. It is sometimes called the '''circum-Pacific belt''' or the '''circum-Pacific seismic belt'''.
Ninety percent of the world's earthquakes and 80% of the world's largest earthquakes occur along the Ring of Fire. The next most seismic region (5–6% of earthquakes and 17% of the world's largest earthquakes) is the [[Alpide belt]], which extends from [[Java (island)|Java]] to [[Sumatra]] through the [[Himalayas]], the [[Mediterranean Sea|Mediterranean]], and out into the [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]]. The [[Mid-Atlantic Ridge]] is the third most prominent earthquake belt.<ref>[http://earthquake.usgs.gov/faq/hist.html#1 U.S. Geological Survey Earthquakes FAQ].</ref><ref>[http://earthquake.usgs.gov/image_glossary/ringoffire.html U.S. Geological Survey Earthquakes Visual Glossary].</ref>
The Ring of Fire is a direct result and consequence of [[plate tectonics]] and the movement and collisions of crustal plates.<ref>[http://pubs.usgs.gov/publications/text/slabs.html <nowiki>Moving slabs [This Dynamic Earth, USGS]</nowiki>].</ref> The eastern section of the ring is the result of the [[Nazca Plate]] and the [[Cocos Plate]] being [[subduction|subducted]] beneath the westward moving [[South American Plate]]. A portion of the [[Pacific Plate]] along with the small [[Juan de Fuca Plate]] are being subducted beneath the [[North American Plate]]. Along the northern portion the northwestward moving Pacific plate is being subducted beneath the [[Aleutian Islands]] arc. Further west the Pacific plate is being subducted along the [[Kamchatka Peninsula]] arcs on south past [[Japan]]. The southern portion is more complex with a number of smaller tectonic plates in collision with the Pacific plate from the [[Mariana Islands]], the [[Philippines]], [[Bougainville Island|Bougainville]], [[Tonga]], and [[New Zealand]]. [[Indonesia]] lies between the ''Ring of Fire'' along the northeastern islands adjacent to and including [[New Guinea]] and the ''Alpide belt'' along the south and west from Sumatra, Java, [[Bali]], [[Flores]], and [[Timor]]. The famous and very active [[San Andreas Fault]] zone of [[California]] is a [[transform fault]] which offsets a portion of the [[East Pacific Rise]] under southwestern [[United States]] and [[Mexico]]. The motion of the fault generates numerous small earthquakes, at multiple times a day, most of which are too small to be felt.<ref>[http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsus/ Latest Earthquakes in the USA - Past 7 days], USGS.</ref><ref>Schulz, Sandra S., and Robert E. Wallace, [http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/earthq3/ "The San Andreas Fault"], USGS.</ref> The active [[Queen Charlotte Fault]] on the west coast of the [[Queen Charlotte Islands]], [[British Columbia]], [[Canada]], has generated three large [[earthquake]]s during the 20th century: a [[Richter Magnitude Scale|magnitude]] 7 event in 1929, a magnitude 8.1 occurred in 1949 (Canada's largest recorded earthquake) and a magnitude 7.4 in 1970.<ref>[http://www.litho.ucalgary.ca/publications/newsletter10.1/bird.html Earthquakes in the Queen Charlotte Islands Region 1984-1996] Retrieved on [[2007-10-03]]</ref>
The [[2004 Indian Ocean earthquake|December 2004 earthquake]] just off the coast of Sumatra was actually a part of the [[Alpide belt]]. {{Fact|date=February 2007}}
==United States ==
[[Image:Cascadia subduction zone USGS.png|thumb|right|Area of the [[Cascadia subduction zone]], including the [[Cascade Volcanoes|Cascade Volcanic Arc]] (red triangles)]]
Western [[United States]] lies the [[Cascade Volcanoes|Cascade Volcanic Arc]]. It includes nearly 20 major volcanoes, among a total of over 4,000 separate volcanic vents including numerous [[stratovolcano]]es, [[shield volcano]]es, [[lava dome]]s, and [[cinder cone]]s, along with a few isolated examples of rarer volcanic forms such as [[tuya]]s. Volcanism in the arc began about 37 million years ago, however, most of the present-day Cascade volcanoes are less than 2,000,000 years old, and the highest peaks are less than 100,000 years old. It formed by [[subduction]] of the [[Gorda Plate|Gorda]] and [[Juan de Fuca Plate|Juan de Fuca]] plates at the [[Cascadia subduction zone]]. This is a 680 mi (1,094 km) long [[geologic fault|fault]], running 50 mi (80 km) off the west-coast of the [[Pacific Northwest]] from [[northern California]] to [[Vancouver Island]], [[British Columbia]]. The plates move at a relative rate of over 0.4 inches (10 mm) per year at a somewhat oblique angle to the [[subduction zone]].
Because of the very large fault area, the Cascadia subduction zone can produce very large earthquakes, magnitude 9.0 or greater, if rupture occurred over its whole area. When the "locked" zone stores up energy for an earthquake, the "transition" zone, although somewhat plastic, can rupture. Thermal and deformation studies indicate that the locked zone is fully locked for 60 kilometers (about 40 miles) downdip from the deformation front. Further downdip, there is a transition from fully locked to [[aseismic creep|aseismic sliding]].
Unlike most subduction zones worldwide, there is no [[oceanic trench]] present along the [[continental margin]] in [[Cascadia]]. Instead, [[terrane]]s and the accretionary wedge have been uplifted to form a series of coast ranges and exotic mountains. A high rate of sedimentation from the outflow of the three major rivers ([[Fraser River]], [[Columbia River]], and [[Klamath River]]) which cross the Cascade Range contributes to further obscuring the presence of a trench. However, in common with most other subduction zones, the outer margin is slowly being compressed, similar to a giant [[spring (device)|spring]]. When the stored energy is suddenly released by slippage across the fault at irregular intervals, the Cascadia subduction zone can create very large [[earthquake]]s such as the [[Richter Magnitude Scale|magnitude]] 9 [[1700 Cascadia earthquake|Cascadia earthquake of 1700]]. Geological evidence indicates that great earthquakes may have occurred at least seven times in the last 3,500 years, suggesting a return time of 400 to 600 years. There is also evidence of accompanying tsunamis with every earthquake, as the prime reason they know of these earthquakes is through "scars" the tsunami left on the coast, and through [[Japan]]ese records (tsunami waves can travel across the pacific).
[[Image:MSH80 st helens eruption plume 07-22-80.jpg|thumb|left|Eruption of [[Mount St. Helens]] on [[May 18]] [[1980]].]]
The [[1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens]] was the most significant to occur in the contiguous 48 [[U.S. state]]s in recorded history ([[Volcanic Explosivity Index|VEI]] = 5, 0.3 cu mi, 1.2 km<sup>3</sup> of material erupted), exceeding the destructive power and volume of material released by the 1915 eruption of [[California]]'s [[Lassen Peak]]. The eruption was preceded by a two-month series of [[earthquake]]s and [[steam]]-venting episodes, caused by an injection of [[magma]] at shallow depth below the mountain that created a huge bulge and a fracture system on [[Mount St. Helens]]' north slope. An earthquake at 8:32 a.m. on [[May 18]], [[1980]], caused the entire weakened north face to slide away, suddenly exposing the partly molten, gas- and [[steam]]-rich [[rock (geology)|rock]] in the volcano to lower pressure. The rock responded by exploding into a very hot mix of pulverized [[lava]] and older rock that sped toward [[Spirit Lake (Washington)|Spirit Lake]] so fast that it quickly passed the avalanching north face.
A [[volcanic ash]] column rose high into the [[Earth's atmosphere|atmosphere]] and deposited ash in 11 U.S. states. At the same time, snow, ice, and several entire [[glacier]]s on the mountain melted, forming a series of large [[lahar]]s (volcanic [[mudslide]]s) that reached as far as the [[Columbia River]]. Less severe outbursts continued into the next day only to be followed by other large but not as destructive eruptions later in 1980. By the time the ash settled, 57 people (including innkeeper [[Harry Truman (volcano victim)|Harry Truman]] and geologist [[David A. Johnston]]) and thousands of animals were dead, hundreds of square miles reduced to wasteland, over a billion [[U.S. dollar]]s in damage had occurred ($2.74 billion in 2007 dollars<ref>As given by {{cite web|url=http://www.minneapolisfed.org/research/data/us/calc/|publisher=Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis|title=What is a dollar worth?|accessdate=2007-09-25}}</ref>), and the face of Mount St. Helens was scarred with a huge crater on its north side. At the time of the eruption, the summit of Mount St. Helens was owned by the [[Burlington Northern Railroad]], but afterward the land passed to the [[United States Forestry Service]]. The area was later preserved, as it was, in the [[Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument]].
[[Image:Cascade eruptions in the last 4000 years.png|thumb|350px|[[Cascade Range]] volcano eruptions in the last 4000 years]]
[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]]s have inhabited the area for thousands of years and developed their own [[mythology|myth]]s and [[legend]]s concerning the Cascade volcanoes. According to some of these tales, Mounts [[Mount Baker|Baker]], [[Mount Jefferson (Oregon)|Jefferson]], [[Mount Shasta|Shasta]] were used as refuge from a great [[flood]]. Other stories, such as the [[Bridge of the Gods (geologic event)|Bridge of the Gods]] tale, had various High Cascades such as [[Mount Hood|Hood]] and [[Mount Adams (Washington)|Adams]], act as god-like chiefs who made [[war]] by throwing fire and stone at each other. [[Mount St. Helens|St. Helens]] with its pre-1980 graceful appearance, was regaled as a beautiful maiden for whom Hood and Adams feuded. Among the many stories concerning Mount Baker, one tells that the volcano was formerly married to Mount Rainier and lived in that vicinity. Then, because of a marital dispute, she picked herself up and marched north to her present position. Native tribes also developed their own names for the High Cascades and many of the smaller peaks, the most well-known to non-natives being Tahoma, the [[Lushootseed]] name for [[Mount Rainier]].
Legends associated with the great volcanoes are many, as well as with other peaks and geographical features of the arc, including its many hot springs and waterfalls and rock towers and other formations. Stories of Tahoma - today [[Mount Rainier]] and the namesake of [[Tacoma, Washington]] - allude to great, hidden grottos with sleeping giants, apparitions and other marvels in the volcanoes of [[Washington]], and [[Mount Shasta]] in California has long been well-known for its associations with everything from [[Lemuria (continent)|Lemurians]] to aliens to elves and, as everywhere in the arc, [[Sasquatch]] or [[Bigfoot]].
In the spring of 1792 British navigator [[George Vancouver]] entered [[Puget Sound]] and started to give [[English language|English]] names to the high mountains he saw. [[Mount Baker]] was named for Vancouver's third lieutenant, the graceful [[Mount St. Helens]] for a famous diplomat, [[Mount Hood]] was named in honor of [[Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood]] (an [[admiral]] of the [[Royal Navy]]) and the tallest Cascade, [[Mount Rainier]], is the namesake of Admiral [[Peter Rainier]]. Vancouver's expedition did not, however, name the arc these peaks belonged to. As marine trade in the [[Strait of Georgia]] and [[Puget Sound]] proceeded in the 1790s and beyond, the summits of [[Mount Rainier|Rainier]] and [[Mount Baker|Baker]] became familiar to captains and crews (mostly British and American over all others, but not exclusively).
With the exception of the 1915 eruption of remote [[Lassen Peak]] in [[Northern California]], the arc was quiet for more than a century. Then, on [[May 18]], [[1980]], the dramatic eruption of little-known [[Mount St. Helens]] shattered the quiet and brought the world's attention to the arc. [[Geologist]]s were also concerned that the St. Helens eruption was a sign that long-dormant Cascade volcanoes might become active once more, as in the period from 1800 to 1857 when a total of eight erupted. None have erupted since St. Helens, but precautions are being taken nevertheless, such as the Mount Rainier Volcano [[Lahar]] Warning System in [[Pierce County, Washington]].<ref>[http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/About/Highlights/RainierPilot/Pilot_highlight.html Pilot Project: Mount Rainier Volcano Lahar Warning System] Retrieved on [[2007-10-06]]</ref>
==Canada==
[[Image:Mount Edziza, British Columbia.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[Mount Edziza]], a large [[shield volcano]] in northwestern British Columbia]]
{{seealso|Volcanism in Canada}}
Although little-known to the general public, [[British Columbia]] and the [[Yukon|Yukon Territory]] is home to a vast region of volcanoes and volcanic activity in the Pacific Ring of Fire.<ref name="SE">[http://www.skimountaineer.com/ROF/Region.php?region=AlaskaCanada Skiing the Pacific Ring of Fire and Beyond: Alaska and Northwest Canada] Retrieved on [[2007-07-31]]</ref> Several mountains that many British Columbians look at every day are [[dormant volcano]]es. Most of them have erupted during the [[Pleistocene]] and [[Holocene]]. Although none of Canada's volcanoes are currently erupting, several volcanoes, [[volcanic field]]s and volcanic centers are considered potentially active.<ref name="IJ">[http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=14897949 CAT.INIST: Canadian volcanoes] Retrieved on [[2007-07-31]]</ref> There are [[hot spring]]s at some volcanoes while 10 volcanoes in British Columbia appear related to seismic activity since 1975, including: the [[Silverthrone Caldera]], [[Mount Meager]], [[Wells Gray-Clearwater Volcanic Field]], [[Mount Garibaldi]], [[Mount Cayley]], [[Castle Rock (volcano)|Castle Rock]], [[Lava Fork]], [[Mount Edziza]], [[Hoodoo Mountain]], [[Crow Lagoon]] and [[Nazko Cone]].<ref>[http://www.bcminerals.ca/pdf/CanadianVolcanoes-CH2005.pdf Volcanoes of Canada] Retrieved on [[2007-06-24]] </ref> The volcanoes are grouped into five [[volcanic belt]]s with different tectonic settings.
[[Image:MountMeagerPlinthCapricorn.jpg|thumb|left|250px|The [[Mount Meager]] volcanic complex as seen from the east near Pemberton, BC. Summits left to right are [[Capricorn Mountain]], Mount Meager, and [[Plinth Peak]]. ]]
The [[Northern Cordilleran Volcanic Province]] (sometimes known as the Stikine Volcanic Belt) is the most active volcanic region in Canada. It formed due to extensional cracking, [[Geologic fault|fault]]ing and [[rift]]ing of the North American Plate, as the Pacific Plate grinds and slides past the [[Queen Charlotte Fault]], unlike subduction that produces the volcanoes in Japan, Philippines and Indonesia. The region has [[Canada]]'s largest volcanoes,<ref name="SE"/> much larger than the minor [[stratovolcano]]es found in the Canadian portion of the [[Garibaldi Volcanic Belt|Cascade Volcanic Arc]].<ref name="SE"/> Several eruptions are known to have occurred within the last 400 years. [[Mount Edziza]] is a huge volcanic complex that erupted several times in the past several thousand of years, which has formed several [[cinder cone]]s and [[lava flows]]. The complex comprises the [[Mount Edziza Plateau]], a large [[volcanic plateau]] (65 kilometers long and 20 kilometers wide) made of predominantly basaltic lava flows with four large [[stratovolcano]]es built on top of the plateau. The associated [[lava dome]]s and [[satellite cone]]s were constructed over the past 7.5 million years during five magmatic cycles beginning with eruption of [[alkali]] [[basalt]]s and ending wth [[felsic]] and basaltic eruptions as late as 1,340 years ago. The blocky lava flows still maintain their original forms. [[Hoodoo Mountain]] is a [[tuya]] in northwestern British Columbia, which has had several periods of [[subglacial eruption]]s. The oldest eruptions occurred about 100,000 years ago and the most recent being about 7000 years ago. Hoodoo Mountain is also considered [[active volcano|active]] and could erupt in the future. The nearby [[Tseax Cone]] and [[Lava Fork]] produced some of Canada's youngest lava flows, that are about 150 years old.
Canada's worst known geophyical disaster came from the [[Tseax Cone]] during the 18th century at the southernmost end of the [[volcanic belt]]. The eruption produced a 22.5 km long lava flow, destroying the [[Nisga'a]] [[village]]s and the death of at least 2000 Nisga'a people by [[volcanic gas]]es and poisonous smoke. The [[Nass River]] valley was inundated by the lava flows and contain abundant tree molds and [[lava tube]]s. The event happened at the same time with the arrival of the first [[Europe]]an explorers to penetrate the uncharted coastal waters of northern [[British Columbia]]. Today, the basaltic lava deposits are a draw to tourists and are part of the [[Nisga'a Memorial Lava Beds Provincial Park]].
[[Image:Mount Cayley.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[Mount Cayley]] as seen from its southeast slopes]]
The [[Garibaldi Volcanic Belt]] in southwestern British Columbia, is the northern extension of the [[Cascade Volcanoes|Cascade Volcanic Arc]] in the [[United States]] (which includes [[Mount Baker]] and [[Mount St. Helens]]) and contains the most explosive young volcanoes in Canada.<ref name="SW">[http://gsc.nrcan.gc.ca/volcanoes/cat/belt_garibaldi_e.php Calalogue of Canadian volcanoes - Garibaldi Volcanic Belt] Retrieved on [[2007-07-31]]</ref> It formed as a result of [[subduction]] of the [[Juan de Fuca Plate]] (a remnant of the much larger [[Farallon Plate]]) under the [[North American Plate]] along the [[Cascadia subduction zone]].<ref name="SW"/> The Garibaldi Volcanic Belt includes the [[Bridge River Cones]], [[Mount Cayley]], [[Mount Fee]], [[Mount Garibaldi]], [[Mount Price]], [[Mount Meager]], the Squamish Volcanic Field and much more smaller volcanoes. The eruption styles in the belt range from [[effusive eruption|effusive]] to [[explosive eruption|explosive]], with compositions from [[basalt]] to [[rhyolite]]. Morphologically, centers include [[caldera]]s, [[cinder cone]]s, [[stratovolcano]]es and small isolated [[lava]] masses. Due to repeated continental and alpine glaciations, many of the volcanic deposits in the belt reflect complex interactions between [[magma]] composition, topography, and changing ice configurations. The most recent major catastrophic eruption in the Garibaldi Volcanic Belt was the [[2350 BP eruption of Mount Meager]] as well as Canada. It was similar the [[1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens]],<ref name="SW"/> sending an [[eruption column|ash column]] approximately 20 km high into the [[stratosphere]].<ref>[http://gsc.nrcan.gc.ca/volcanoes/cat/volcano_e.php?id=gvb_mme_034 Catalogue of Canadian volcanoes: Mount Meager] Retrieved on [[2007-07-31]]</ref>
The [[Chilcotin Plateau Basalts]] are a north-south range of [[volcano]]es in southern [[British Columbia]] running parallel to the [[Garibaldi Volcanic Belt]]. The majority of the eruptions in this belt happened either 6–10 million years ago ([[Miocene]]) or 2–3 million years ago ([[Pliocene]]), although there have been some slightly more recent eruptions (in the [[Pleistocene]]).<ref name="DA">[http://gsc.nrcaN.gc.ca/volcanoes/cat/belt_chilcotin_e.php Catalogue of Canadian volcanoes - Chilcotin Plateau basalts] Retrieved on [[2007-07-31]]</ref> It is thought to have formed as a result of [[back-arc basin|back-arc extension]] behind the [[Cascadia subduction zone]].<ref name="DA"/> Volcanoes in this belt include [[Mount Noel]], the [[Clisbako Caldera Complex]], [[Lightning Peak]], [[Black Dome Mountain]] and many lava flows.
[[Image:Anahim Volcanic Belt-en.svg|thumb|left|350px|The [[Anahim Volcanic Belt]] centers]]
The [[Anahim Volcanic Belt]] is a line of volcanoes stretching from just north of [[Vancouver Island]] to near [[Quesnel, British Columbia|Quesnel]], [[British Columbia]], [[Canada]]. These volcanoes were formed 8-1 million years ago and the [[Nazko Cone]] which last erupted only 7,200 years ago.<ref name="SA">[http://gsc.nrcan.gc.ca/volcanoes/cat/belt_anahim_e.php Catalogue of Canadian volcanoes - Anahim Volcanic Belt] Retrieved on [[2007-07-31]]</ref> The volcanoes generally get younger as you go from the coast to the interior. These volcanoes are thought to have formed as a result of the [[North American Plate]] sliding westward over a small [[hotspot (geology)|hotspot]], called the [[Anahim hotspot]].<ref name="SA"/> The hotspot is considered similar to the one feeding the [[Hawaiian Islands]]<ref name="SA"/> The belt is defined by three large [[shield volcano]]es ([[Rainbow Range (Coast Mountains)|Rainbow]], [[Ilgachuz Range|Ilgachuz]] and the [[Itcha Range]]s) and 37 [[Quaternary]] [[basalt]] centers.
Eruptions of [[basalt]]ic to [[rhyolite|rhyolitic]] volcanoes and hypabyssal rocks of the [[Alert Bay Volcanic Belt]] in northern [[Vancouver Island]] are probably linked with the subducted margin flanked by the [[Explorer Plate|Explorer]] and [[Juan de Fuca Plate|Juan de Fuca]] plates at the [[Cascadia subduction zone]]. It appears to have been active during the [[Pliocene]] and [[Pleistocene]] time. However, no [[Holocene]] eruptions are known, and volcanic activity in the belt has likely ceased.
==Indonesia==
{| style="float:right; clear:both; background:transparent;"
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| [[Image:Blethrow merapi1.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[Mount Merapi]] as seen from Loon Mountain ]]
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The volcanoes in [[Indonesia]] are among the most active of the Pacific Ring of Fire. They are formed due to [[subduction zone]]s between the [[Eurasian Plate]] and the [[Indo-Australian Plate]]. Some of the volcanoes are notable for their eruptions, for instance, [[Krakatau]] for its global effects in 1883, [[Lake Toba]] for its [[supervolcano|supervolcanic]] eruption estimated to have occurred 74,000 [[Before Present|BP]] which was responsible for six years of [[volcanic winter]], and [[Mount Tambora]] for the most violent eruption in recorded history in 1815.
The most active volcanoes are [[Kelut]] and [[Merapi]] on [[Java]] island which have been responsible for thousands of deaths in the region. Since AD 1000, Kelut has erupted more than 30 times, of which the largest eruption was at scale 5 on the [[Volcanic Explosivity Index]], while Merapi has erupted more than 80 times. The [[International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior]] has named Merapi as a [[Decade Volcano]] since 1995 because of its high volcanic activity.
==Japan==
Ten percent of the world's active [[volcano]]es are found in Japan, which lies in a zone of extreme crustal instability. They are formed by [[subduction]] of the [[Pacific Plate|Pacific]] and [[Philippine Plate|Philippine]] plates. As many as 1,500 [[earthquake]]s are recorded yearly, and magnitudes of four to six on the [[Richter magnitude scale|Richter scale]] are not uncommon. Minor tremors occur almost daily in one part of the country or another, causing slight shaking of buildings. Major earthquakes occur infrequently; the most famous in the twentieth century were: the [[great Kantō earthquake]] of 1923, in which 130,000 people died; and the [[Great Hanshin Earthquake]] of 17th January 1995, in which 6,434 people died. Undersea earthquakes also expose the Japanese coastline to danger from [[tsunami]]s.
{| style="float:right; clear:both; background:transparent;"
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[[Image:FujiSunriseKawaguchiko2025WP.jpg|thumb|left|250px|[[Mount Fuji]] at sunrise from [[Lake Kawaguchi]] ]]
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[[Mount Bandai]] is one of Japan's most noted volcanoes, rises above the north shore of [[Lake Inawashiro]]. Mount Bandai is formed of several overlapping [[stratovolcano]]es, the largest of which is O-Bandai forming a [[complex volcano]]. O-Bandai volcano was constructed within a horseshoe-shaped [[caldera]] that formed about 40,000 years when an earlier volcano collapsed, forming the [[Okinajima debris avalanche]], which traveled to the southwest and was accompanied by a [[plinian eruption]]. Four major [[phreatic eruption]]s have occurred during the past 5,000 years, two of them in historical time, in 806 and 1888. Seen from the south, Bandai presents a conical profile, but much of the north side of the volcano is missing as a result of the collapse of Ko-Bandai volcano during the 1888 eruption, in which a debris avalanche buried several villages and formed several large [[lake]]s.
Nearly a century ago, the north flank of Mount Bandai collapsed during an eruption quite similar to the [[May 18]], [[1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens]]. After a week of seismic activity, a large earthquake on July 15, 1888, was followed by a tremendous noise and a large explosion. Eyewitnesses heard about 15 to 20 additional explosions and observed that the last one was projected almost horizontally to the north.
[[Mount Fuji]] is Japan's highest and most noted volcano. The modern postglacial stratovolcano is constructed above a group of overlapping volcanoes, remnants of which form irregularities on Fuji's profile. Growth of the younger Mount Fuji began with a period of voluminous lava flows from 11,000 to 8,000 years ago, accounting for four-fifths of the volume of the younger Mount Fuji. Minor [[explosive eruption]]s dominated activity from 8,000 to 4,500 years ago, with another period of major [[lava]] flows occurring from 4,500 to 3,000 years ago. Subsequently, intermittent major explosive eruptions occurred, with subordinate lava flows and small [[pyroclastic flow]]s. Summit eruptions dominated from 3,000 to 2,000 years ago, after which flank vents were active. The extensive [[basalt]]ic lava flows from the summit and some of the more than 100 flank cones and vents blocked drainages against the [[Tertiary]] [[Misaka Mountains]] on the north side of the volcano, forming the [[Fuji Five Lakes]]. The last eruption of this dominantly basaltic volcano in 1707 ejected [[andesite|andesitic]] [[pumice]] and formed a large new [[volcanic crater|crater]] on the east flank. [[Scientist]]s are saying that there may be some minor volcanic activity in the next few years.
==Mexico==
[[Image:Map mexico volcanoes.gif|thumb|right|300px|The [[Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt]] ]]
Volcanoes of Mexico are related to [[subduction]] of the [[Cocos Plate|Cocos]] and [[Rivera Plate|Rivera]] plates to the east, which has produced large [[explosive eruption]]s. Most active volcanoes in Mexico occur in the [[Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt]], which extends {{Convert|900|km|mi|0}} from west to east across central-southern Mexico. A few other active volcanoes in northern Mexico are related to extensional tectonics of the [[Basin and Range Province]], which split the Baja California peninsula from the mainland.<ref name="AA">[http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/Mexico/description_mexico_volcanoes.html DESCRIPTION: Mexico Volcanoes and Volcanics] Retrieved on [[2007-10-14]]</ref> [[Popocatépetl]] lies in the eastern half of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, which is the seconed highest peak in Mexico after the [[Pico de Orizaba]]. It is one of most active volcanoes in Mexico, having had more than 20 major eruptions since the arrival of the Spanish in 1519. The 1982 eruption of [[El Chichón]] killed about 2,000 people who lived near the volcano. It created a {{Convert|1|km|mi|0}} wide [[caldera]] that filled with an [[acid]]ic [[crater lake]]. Prior to 2000, this relatively unknown volcano was heavily forested and of no greater height than adjacent non-volcanic peaks.<ref name="AA"/>
==Philippines==
[[Image:MajorVolcanoesOfThePhilippines-USGS.gif|thumb|left|150px|Map showing major volcanoes of the [[Philippines]].]]
The 1991 eruption of [[Mount Pinatubo]] is the world's second largest terrestrial eruption of the 20th century. Successful predictions of the onset of the climactic eruption led to the evacuation of tens of thousands of people from the surrounding areas, saving many lives, but as the surrounding areas were severely damaged by [[pyroclastic flow]]s, ash deposits, and later, [[lahar]]s caused by rainwater remobilising earlier volcanic deposits, thousands of houses were destroyed.
[[Image:Mayon1984.jpg|thumb|305px|right|[[Mayon Volcano]] overlooks a pastoral scene approximately five months before the volcano's violent eruption in September 1984.]]
[[Mayon Volcano]] is the Philippines' most active volcano. The volcano has steep upper slopes that average 35–40 degrees and is capped by a small summit [[volcanic crater|crater]]. The historical eruptions of this [[basalt]]ic-[[andesite|andesitic]] volcano dates back to 1616 and ranges from [[Strombolian eruption|Strombolian]] to basaltic [[Plinian eruption]]s. Eruptions occur predominately from the central conduit and have also produced lava flows that travel far down the flanks. [[Pyroclastic flow]]s and [[mudflow]]s have commonly swept down many of the approximately 40 ravines that radiate from the summit and have often devastated populated lowland areas.
[[Taal Volcano]] has had 33 recorded eruptions since 1572. A devastating eruption occurred in 1911, which claimed more than a thousand lives. The deposits of that eruption consisted of a yellowish, fairly decomposed (non-juvenile) tephra with a high sulfur content. The most recent period of activity lasted from 1965 to 1977, and was characterized by the interaction of magma with the lake water, which produced violent [[phreatic explosion]]s. Although the volcano has been dormant since 1977, it has shown signs of unrest since 1991, with strong seismic activity and ground fracturing events, as well as the formation of small mud geysers on parts of the island.
[[Kanlaon]] is the most active volcano in central Philippines and has erupted 25 times since 1866. Eruptions are typically phreatic explosions of small-to-moderate size that produce minor ashfalls near the volcano. On August 10, 1996, Kanlaon erupted without warning, killing British student Julian Green and Filipinos Noel Tragico and Neil Perez, who were among 24 mountainclimbers who were trapped near the summit.
==Kamchatka Peninsula==
The [[Kamchatka Peninsula]] in the [[Russian Far East]], is one of the most various and active volcanic areas in the world,<ref name="DF">[http://www.skimountaineer.com/ROF/Region.php?region=Kamchatka Skiing the Pacific Ring of Fire and Beyond: Kamchatka & Kuril Islands] Retrieved on [[2007-08-01]]</ref> with an area of 472,300 km². It lies between the [[Pacific Ocean]] to the east and the [[Okhotsk Sea]] to the west. Immediately offshore along the Pacific coast of the peninsula runs the 10,500 meter deep [[Kuril-Kamchatka Trench]]. This is where rapid [[subduction]] of the [[Pacific Plate]] fuels the intense volcanism. Almost all types of volcanic activity are present, from [[stratovolcano]]es and [[shield volcano]]es to Hawaiian-style fissure eruptions.<ref name="DF"/>
There are over 30 active volcanoes and hundreds of [[dormant volcano|dormant]] and [[extinct volcano|extinct]] volcanoes in two major [[volcanic belt]]s. The most recent activity takes place in the eastern belt,<ref name="DF"/> starting in the north at the [[Shiveluch]] volcanic complex, which lies at the junction of the [[Aleutian Islands|Aleutian]] and Kamchatka [[volcanic arc]]s. Just to the south is the famous [[Klyuchi]] volcanic group, comprising the twin [[volcanic cone]]s of [[Kliuchevskoi]] and [[Kamen (volcano)|Kamen]], the huge volcanic complexes of [[Tolbachik]] and [[Ushkovsky]], and a number of other large stratovolcanoes. The only active volcano in the central belt is found west of here, the huge remote [[Ichinsky]]. Farther south, the eastern belt continues to the southern slope of Kamchatka, topped by loads of [[stratovolcano]]es.
==New Zealand==
{| style="float:right; clear:both; background:transparent;"
|-
[[Image:map new zealand volcanoes.gif|thumb|right|150px|Major volcanoes of New Zealand]]
|}
{{seealso|Earthquakes in New Zealand|Volcanism in New Zealand}}
[[New Zealand]] contains the world's strongest concentration of youthful [[rhyolite|rhyolitic]] volcanoes, and voluminous sheets blanket much of [[North Island]]. The earliest historically-dated eruption was at [[Whakaari/White Island]] in 1826.<ref>[http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/NewZealand/description_new_zealand_volcanoes.html CVO Menu - New Zealand Volcanoes and Volcanics] Retrieved on [[2007-10-15]]</ref> Much of the region north of New Zealand's North Island is made up of [[seamount]]s and small [[island]]s, including 16 [[submarine volcano]]es. In the last 1.6 million years, most of New Zealand's volcanism is from the [[Taupo Volcanic Zone]].
[[Mount Ruapehu]] at the southern end of the [[Taupo Volcanic Zone]], is one of the most active volcanoes.<ref name="crlk">{{cite web| title=Crater Lake| url=http://www.doc.govt.nz/Regional-Info/007~Tongariro-Taupo/004~Conservation/Crater-Lake/index.asp | author=New Zealand Department of Conservation | accessdate=2006-10-23}}</ref> It began erupting at least 250,000 years ago. In recorded history, major eruptions have been about 50 years apart,<ref name="crlk" /> in 1895, 1945 and 1995–1996. Minor eruptions are frequent, with at least 60 since 1945. Some of the minor eruptions in the 1970s generated small [[volcanic ash|ash]] falls and [[lahar]]s (mudflows) that damaged skifields.<ref name="cniv">{{cite web|title=Central North Island Volcanoes| url=http://www.doc.govt.nz/Explore/001~National-Parks/Tongariro-National-Park/005~Central-North-Island-Volcanoes.asp | author=New Zealand Department of Conservation|accessdate=2006-10-23}}</ref> Between major eruptions, a warm [[acid]]ic crater lake forms, fed by melting snow. Major eruptions may completely expel the lake water. Where a major eruption has deposited a [[tephra]] dam across the lake's outlet, the dam may collapse after the lake has refilled and risen above the level of its normal outlet, the outrush of water causing a large lahar. In 2000, the [[ERLAWS]] system was installed on the mountain to detect such a collapse and alert the relevant authorities.
The [[Auckland volcanic field]] on the North Island of New Zealand, has produced a diverse array of explosive craters, scoria cones, and lava flows. Currently [[dormant volcano|dormant]], the field is likely to erupt again with the next "hundreds to thousands of years", a very short timeframe in geologic terms.<ref name="CONT">[http://www.arc.govt.nz/arc/library/c28192_2.pdf Contingency Plan for the Auckland Volcanic Field] (from the [[Auckland Regional Council]] website)</ref> The field contains at least 40 volcanoes, most recently active about 600 years ago at [[Rangitoto]], erupting 2.3 cubic kilometers of lava.
==Chile==
[[Image:Llaima eruption2.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Llaima|Llaima's]] 2008 eruption]]Volcanoes of Chile are related to [[subduction]] of the [[Nazca Plate]] to the east. [[Villarrica (volcano)|Villarrica]], one of [[Chile]]'s most active volcanoes, rises above [[Villarrica Lake]] and the town of [[Villarrica, Chile|Villarrica]]. It is the westernmost of three large [[stratovolcano]]es that trend perpendicular to the Andean chain. A 6-kilometer wide [[caldera]] formed during the late [[Pleistocene]], >0.9 million years ago. A 2-kilometer-wide postglacial caldera is located at the base of the presently active, dominantly basaltic-to-andesitic cone at the NW margin of the Pleistocene caldera. About 25 scoria cones dot Villarica's flanks. [[Plinian eruption]]s and [[pyroclastic flow]]s have been produced during the Holocene from this dominantly basaltic volcano, but historical eruptions have consisted largely of mild-to-moderate explosive activity with occasional lava effusion. [[Lahar]]s from the glacier-covered volcano have damaged towns on its flanks.
This year Chile has experienced two volcanic eruptions, the first one from Llaima Volcano (January 1) and Chaitén Volcano (May 1).
==Antarctica==
{| style="float:right; clear:both; background:transparent;"
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| [[Image:Mt erebus.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[Mount Erebus]], 1972 ]]
|}
The southernmost end of the Pacific Ring of Fire is the continent [[Antarctica]],<ref name="FD">[http://www.skimountaineer.com/ROF/Region.php?region=Antarctica Skiing the Pacific Ring of Fire and Beyong: Antarctica] Retrieved [[2007-07-31]]</ref> which includes many large volcanoes. The makeup and structure of the volcanoes in Antarctica change largely from the other places around the ring. In contrast, the [[Antarctic Plate]] is almost completely surrounded by extensional zones, with several [[mid-ocean ridge]]s which encircle it, and there is only a small subduction zone at the tip of the [[Antarctic Peninsula]], reaching eastward to the remote [[South Sandwich Islands]].<ref name="FD"/> The most well known volcano in Antarctica is [[Mount Erebus]], which is also the world's southernmost active volcano.<ref name="FD"/>
The volcanoes of the [[Victoria Land]] area are the most well-known in Antarctica,<ref name="FD"/> most likely because they are the most accessible. Much of Victoria Land is mountainous, developing the eastern section of the [[Transantarctic Mountains]], and there are several scattered volcanoes including [[Mount Overlord]] and [[Mount Melbourne]] in the northern part.<ref name="FD"/> Farther south are two more well-known volcanoes, [[Mount Discovery]] and [[Mount Morning]], which are on the coast across from [[Mount Erebus]] and [[Mount Terror (Antarctica)|Mount Terror]] on [[Ross Island]]. The volcanism in this area is caused by [[rift]]ing along a number of [[rift zone]]s increasing mainly north-south similar to the coast.<ref name="FD"/>
[[Marie Byrd Land]] contains the largest volcanic region in Antarctica, covering a length of almost 600 miles (960 km) along the Pacific coast.<ref name="FD"/> The volcanism is the result of rifting along the vast [[West Antarctic Rift]], which extends from the base of the [[Antarctic Peninsula]] to the surrounding area of [[Ross Island]], and the volcanoes are found along the northern edge of the rift.<ref name="FD"/> Protruding up through the ice are a large number of major [[shield volcano]]es, including [[Mount Sidley]], which is the highest volcano in Antarctica.<ref name="FD"/> Although a number of the volcanoes are relatively young and are potentially active ([[Mount Berlin]], [[Mount Takahe]], [[Mount Waesche]], and [[Mount Siple]]), others such as [[Mount Andrus]] and [[Mount Hampton]] are over 10 million years old, yet maintain uneroded constructional forms.<ref name="FD"/> The desert-like surroundings of the Antarctic interior, along with a very thick and stable ice sheet which encloses and protects the bases of the volcanoes, which decreases the speed of [[erosion]] by an issue of perhaps a thousand relative to volcanoes in moist temperate or tropical climates.
==See also==
*[[Alpide belt]]
*[[Andesite line]]
*[[Geology of the Pacific Northwest]]
*[[Katsuhiko Ishibashi]]
*[[2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake]]
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
* [http://earthquake.usgs.gov/faq/hist.html Historic Earthquakes & Earthquake Statistics] at the United States Geological Survey
* [http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Glossary/PlateTectonics/description_plate_tectonics.html DESCRIPTION: "Ring of Fire", Plate Tectonics, Sea-Floor Spreading, Subduction Zones, "Hot Spots"] at the USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory, Vancouver, Washington Web site.
* [http://pubs.usgs.gov/publications/text/fire.html Map of the Ring of Fire]
* [http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/ The Ring of Fire at work]
* [http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:World-map-2004-cia-factbook-large-2m.jpg Physical World Map 2004-04-01 CIA World Factbook; Robinson Projection; standard parallels 38°N and 38°S]
{{Navbox
| name = Pacific Ring of Fire
| title = [[Countries of the world|Countries]] of the Pacific Ring of Fire [http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:World-map-2004-cia-factbook-large-2m.jpg]
| titlestyle = background:#FFC8D8;
| image =
| list1 = [[Belize]] • [[Bolivia]] • [[Brazil]] • [[Canada]] • [[Colombia]] • [[Chile]] • [[Costa Rica|Costa Rica]] • [[Ecuador]] • [[East Timor|East Timor]] • [[El Salvador|El Salvador]] • [[Federated States of Micronesia|Micronesia]] • [[Fiji]] • [[Guatemala]] • [[Honduras]] • [[Indonesia]] • [[Japan]] • [[Kiribati]] • [[Mexico]] • [[New Zealand|New Zealand]] • [[Nicaragua]] • [[Palau]] • [[Papua New Guinea|Papua New Guinea]] • [[Panama]] • [[Peru]] • [[Philippines]] • [[Russia]] • [[Samoa]] • [[Solomon Islands|Solomon Islands]] • [[Tonga]] • [[Tuvalu]] • [[United States|United States]]
}}
{{Navbox
| name = Pacific Ring of Fire
| title = [[Oceanic trench|Oceanic Trenches]] of the Pacific Ring of Fire
| titlestyle = background:#FFC8D8;
| image =
| list1 = [[Aleutian Trench|Aleutian Trench]] • [[Bougainville Trench|Bougainville Trench]] • [[Kermadec Trench|Kermadec Trench]] • [[Izu Bonin Trench|Izu Bonin Trench]] • [[Japan Trench|Japan Trench]] • [[Kurile Trench|Kurile Trench]] • [[Mariana Trench|Mariana Trench]] • [[Middle America Trench|Middle America Trench]] • [[Peru-Chile Trench|Peru-Chile Trench]] • [[Philippine Trench|Philippine Trench]] • [[Ryukyu Trench|Ryukyu Trench]] • [[Tonga Trench|Tonga Trench]] • [[Yap Trench|Yap Trench]]
}}
{{Navbox
| name = Pacific Ring of Fire
| title = [[Tectonic plate|Tectonic Plates]] of the Pacific Ring of Fire
| titlestyle = background:#FFC8D8;
| image =
| list1 = [[Antarctic Plate|Antarctic Plate]] • [[Australian Plate|Australian Plate]] • [[Caribbean Plate|Caribbean Plate]] • [[Cocos Plate|Cocos Plate]] • [[Eurasian Plate|Eurasian Plate]] • [[Explorer Plate|Explorer Plate]] • [[Gorda Plate|Gorda Plate]] • [[Juan de Fuca Plate|Juan de Fuca Plate]] • [[Nazca Plate|Nazca Plate]] • [[North American Plate|North American Plate]] • [[Pacific Plate|Pacific Plate]] • [[Philippine Plate|Philippine Plate]] • [[Rivera Plate|Rivera Plate]] • [[South American Plate|South American Plate]]
}}
{{Navbox
| name = Pacific Ring of Fire
| title = [[Volcano]]es of the Pacific Ring of Fire
| titlestyle = background:#FFC8D8;
| image =
| list1 = [[Mount Baker|Mount Baker]] • [[Mount Bulusan|Mount Bulusan]] • [[Cold Bay Volcano|Cold Bay Volcano]] • [[Concepción (volcano)|Concepción]] • [[Volcán de Fuego|Volcán de Fuego]] • [[Mount Fuji|Mount Fuji]] • [[Galeras]] • [[Mount Hood|Mount Hood]] • [[Mount Erebus]] • [[Krakatoa]] • [[Mayon Volcano|Mayon Volcano]] • [[Cascade Volcanoes]] • [[Mount Merapi, Central Java|Mount Merapi]] • [[Momotombo]] • [[Novarupta]] • [[Parícutin]] • [[Pico de Orizaba|Pico de Orizaba]] • [[Mount Pinatubo|Mount Pinatubo]] • [[Popocatépetl]] • [[Mount Shasta|Mount Shasta]] • [[Mount Rainier|Mount Rainier]] • [[Mount Ruapehu|Mount Ruapehu]] • [[Nevado del Ruiz|Nevado del Ruiz]] • [[Mount St. Helens|Mount St. Helens]] • [[Mount Tambora|Mount Tambora]] • [[Mount Taranaki|Mount Taranaki]] • [[Tungurahua]] • [[Mount Usu|Mount Usu]] • [[Hoodoo Mountain]] • [[Mount Edziza]] • [[Tseax Cone]] • [[Lava Fork]] • [[Mount Meager]] • [[Mount Garibaldi]] • [[Mount Cayley]] • [[Silverthrone Caldera]] • [[Volcano Mountain]]
}}
{{Navbox
| name = Pacific Ring of Fire
| title = Other Notable [[Geography|Geographic]] Features of the Pacific Ring of Fire
| titlestyle = background:#FFC8D8;
| image =
| list1 = [[Alaska]] • [[Aleutian Islands|Aleutian Islands]] • [[American cordillera|American cordillera]] • [[Andes]] • [[Antarctica]] • [[Bali]] • [[Borneo]] • [[Bougainville Island|Bougainville]] • [[British Columbia|British Columbia]] • [[California]] • [[Cascade Range|Cascade Range]] • [[Challenger Deep|Challenger Deep]] • [[Coast Mountains|Coast Mountains]] • [[Fais Island|Fais Island]] • [[Flores]] • [[Guam]] • [[Honshū]] • [[Insular Mountains|Insular Mountains]] • [[Java (island)|Java]] • [[Kamchatka Peninsula|Kamchatka]] • [[Kurile Islands|Kurile Islands]] • [[Luzon]] • [[Mariana Islands|Mariana Islands]] • [[Melanesia]] • [[Micronesia]] • [[Mindanao]] • [[New Guinea|New Guinea]] • [[North Island|North Island (NZL)]] • [[Northern Mariana Islands|Northern Mariana Islands]] • [[Oregon]] • [[Pacific Coast Range|Pacific Coast Range]] • [[Pacific Ocean|Pacific Ocean]] • [[Polynesia]] • [[Rocky Mountains]] • [[San Andreas Fault|San Andreas Fault]] • [[Queen Charlotte Fault]] • [[Sierra Madre (Philippines)|Sierra Madre (PHL)]] • [[Sierra Madre Mountains (California)|Sierra Madre (USA)]] • [[Sierra Madre del Sur|Sierra Madre del Sur]] • [[Sierra Madre Occidental|Sierra Madre Occidental]] • [[Sierra Madre Oriental|Sierra Madre Oriental]] • [[South Island|South Island (NZL)]] • [[Sulawesi]] • [[Timor]] • [[Washington]] • [[Yap]] • [[Yukon Territory]]
}}
[[Category:Plate tectonics]]
[[Category:Volcanology]]
[[Category:Geographic areas of seismological interest]]
[[Category:Oceania]]
[[Category:Geography of Oceania]]
[[Category:Volcanoes of the Pacific Ocean| ]]
[[Category:Extreme points of Earth]]
[[af:Ring van Vuur]]
[[map-bms:Lingkar gunung api pasifik]]
[[bs:Pacifički vatreni prsten]]
[[ca:Cinturó de foc del Pacífic]]
[[da:Ildringen]]
[[de:Pazifischer Feuerring]]
[[et:Vaikse ookeani tulerõngas]]
[[es:Cinturón de Fuego del Pacífico]]
[[fr:Ceinture de feu du Pacifique]]
[[ko:환태평양 지진대]]
[[hr:Pacifički vatreni prsten]]
[[id:Cincin Api Pasifik]]
[[it:Cintura di fuoco]]
[[he:טבעת האש]]
[[lt:Ugnies žiedas]]
[[ms:Lingkaran Api Pasifik]]
[[nl:Ring van Vuur]]
[[ja:環太平洋火山帯]]
[[no:Pacific Ring of Fire]]
[[pl:Pacyficzny pierścień ognia]]
[[pt:Círculo de fogo do Pacífico]]
[[ro:Cercul de foc al Pacificului]]
[[simple:Ring of Fire]]
[[sk:Ohnivý kruh]]
[[sr:Ватрени појас Пацифика]]
[[fi:Tyynenmeren tulirengas]]
[[sv:Eldringen]]
[[ta:எரிமலை வளையம்]]
[[th:วงแหวนแห่งไฟ]]
[[vi:Vành đai lửa Thái Bình Dương]]
[[tr:Pasifik Deprem Kuşağı]]
[[uk:Тихоокеанське вогняне коло]]
[[ur:حلقۂ آتش]]
[[zh:环太平洋火山带]]