Unrest Beneath the Pacific

Is the Ring of Fire Entering a New Phase of Global Volatility?

A growing body of data, combined with dramatic recent events, suggests that the Pacific Ring of Fire—a vast, horseshoe-shaped belt of tectonic boundaries and volcanic arcs encircling the Pacific Ocean—is entering a notable period of intensified seismic and volcanic activity. In the first half of 2025 alone, major earthquakes have rocked Alaska, Japan, and Kamchatka; over 40 volcanoes have remained in active eruption; and hundreds of micro-seismic swarms have been recorded in Indonesia, the Philippines, and the U.S. West Coast.