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6.0 Magnitude Quake Strikes Pacific Ocean's "Ring of Fire"

A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck the North Pacific Ocean at a shallow depth of 10 kilometers, making it particularly dangerous due to stronger ground shaking. The event occurred along the circum-Pacific seismic belt, notoriously known as the "Ring of Fire." This belt is responsible for approximately 81 percent of the planet's largest earthquakes, including historical mega-quakes in Chile and Alaska. The Ring of Fire is a massive, active zone created by tectonic plate subduction that surrounds most of the Pacific Ocean.

Key Points: 6.0 Earthquake Hits Pacific Ocean's Ring of Fire

  • Magnitude 6.0 quake in North Pacific
  • Shallow depth of 10km increases danger
  • Occurs along the "Ring of Fire" seismic belt
  • Belt causes ~81% of world's largest quakes
2 min read

Earthquake of magnitude 6.0 rattles Pacific Ocean

A magnitude 6.0 shallow earthquake struck the North Pacific Ocean, highlighting the seismic activity of the dangerous "Ring of Fire" belt.

"EQ of M: 6.0, On: 16/01/2026 08:55:54 IST, Lat: 43.79 N, Long: 127.98 W, Depth: 10 Km, Location: North Pacific Ocean. - National Center for Seismology"

Pacific Ocean, January 16

An earthquake of magnitude 6.0 rattled the North Pacific Ocean on Friday, a statement by the National Center for Seismology said.

The earthquake occurred at a shallow depth of 10km, making it susceptible to aftershocks.

In a post on X, the NCS said, "EQ of M: 6.0, On: 16/01/2026 08:55:54 IST, Lat: 43.79 N, Long: 127.98 W, Depth: 10 Km, Location: North Pacific Ocean."

Shallow earthquakes are generally more dangerous than deep earthquakes. This is because the seismic waves from shallow earthquakes have a shorter distance to travel to the surface, resulting in stronger ground shaking and potentially more damage to structures and greater casualties.

The world's greatest earthquake belt, the circum-Pacific seismic belt, is found along the rim of the Pacific Ocean, where about 81 per cent of our planet's largest earthquakes occur. It has earned the nickname "Ring of Fire," the USGS states.

The belt exists along boundaries of tectonic plates, where plates of mostly oceanic crust are sinking (or subducting) beneath another plate. Earthquakes in these subduction zones are caused by slip between plates and rupture within plates. Earthquakes in the circum-Pacific seismic belt include the M9.5 Chilean Earthquake [Valdivia Earthquake] (1960) and the M9.2 Alaska Earthquake (1964).

Approximately 90% of the world's earthquakes occur along the Ring of Fire. About 81% of the world's largest earthquakes happen in this belt. It is estimated that there are 500,000 detectable earthquakes in the world each year. 100,000 of those can be felt, and 100 of them cause damage.

The Pacific Ring of Fire is about 40,000 km (25,000 mi) long and up to about 500 km (310 mi) wide, and surrounds most of the Pacific Ocean.

The current configuration of the Pacific Ring of Fire has been created by the development of the present-day subduction zones, initially (by about 115 million years ago) in South America, North America and Asia. As plate configurations gradually changed, the current subduction zones of Indonesia and New Guinea were created (about 70 million years ago), followed finally by the New Zealand subduction zone (about 35 million years ago).

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Shallow depth of 10km is concerning. The article explains it well why shallow quakes are more dangerous. Makes you appreciate the work of our own National Center for Seismology. We need more public awareness about earthquake preparedness in our own Himalayan region.
A
Arjun K
The statistics are mind-boggling! 81% of the largest quakes in the Ring of Fire. Nature's power is humbling. Hope there are no tsunamis triggered that could affect coastal areas. 🙏
S
Sarah B
Interesting read, but the article gets a bit repetitive with the Ring of Fire statistics. The geological history part at the end was more unique. It's a reminder that the ground beneath our feet is always on the move, just on a timescale we can't perceive.
V
Vikram M
While this quake was far away, it's a wake-up call for us in India. Our building codes in many cities, especially older constructions, are not up to the mark for a major seismic event. Authorities need to take this more seriously.
K
Kavya N
The part about 100,000 earthquakes being felt each year is something new I learned today. We only hear about the big ones. Puts things into perspective. Science communication like this is important.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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