Pacific Ring of Fire growing more active – volcanic arcs/trenches awakening

 April 16, 2011 – NEW ZEALAND – At least five countries located on the Pacific Ring of Fire have experienced earthquakes greater than a magnitude of 5 over the past 24 hours. A 5.4 magnitude earthquake hit north-eastern Australia on Saturday afternoon. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake took place at 3.30pm local time (0530 GMT) about 124 kilometres southeast of Townsville, Queensland. The quake was measured at a depth of 10 kilometres.  Queensland was hit by another 5.4 magnitude quake on 16 March last. Meanwhile, Christchurch in New Zealand has been hit by more aftershocks this afternoon, leaving several parts of the city without power. The strongest of the tremors measured 5.2 on the Richter scale. The country’s second largest city was hit by a 6.3 magnitude earthquake in February. 181 people were killed. Elsewhere, Japan was rattled by a 5.9 magnitude aftershock on Saturday afternoon but there were no initial reports of damage and no risk of a tsunami. Taiwan was hit by a quake measuring 5.8 on the Richter Scale.  The quake struck 220km east of Keelung City. Tonga, an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, also experienced a 5.7 magnitude earthquake last night. The “Ring of Fire” is an arc stretching from New Zealand, along the eastern edge of Asia, north across the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, and south along the coast of North and South America. The Ring of Fire is composed over 75% of the world’s active and dormant volcanoes. –Irish Weather