Which of the following statements are correct with reference to the Circum-Pacific Belt?

A. The Circum-Pacific Belt accounts for about 80% of the active volcanoes in the world.
B. This belt is also called the 'Fire Girdle' of the Pacific Ocean.
C. Here, volcanoes are primarily caused by the collision of convergent plates along the Benioff zones.
D. This zone is also known for divergent plate margins.

Choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below:

Correct option is A

Introduction
The Circum-Pacific Belt, often called the Ring of Fire, is the most seismically and volcanically active zone on Earth, encompassing a nearly continuous chain of volcanoes and plate boundaries that encircles the Pacific Ocean basin.

This 40,000 km horseshoe-shaped belt is characterized by intense tectonic activity, primarily convergent plate margins where subduction occurs.

Information Booster

Volcanic Concentration

• The Circum-Pacific Belt is home to approximately 75% to 80% of the world's active and dormant volcanoes.
• It also accounts for about 90% of the world's major earthquakes.
• Alternative Name: The belt is famously known as the "Ring of Fire" or the "Fire Girdle" due to the high density of volcanic activity and earthquakes along its perimeter.

Tectonic Mechanism (Cause of Volcanoes)

• Volcanoes here are primarily caused by the collision of convergent plates (subduction zones).
• When an oceanic plate sinks beneath another plate (oceanic or continental), it descends along a dipping seismic zone known as the Benioff Zone.
• Melting occurs in the mantle wedge above the sinking slab, and the resulting magma rises to the surface, forming volcanic arcs.

Additional Knowledge

• The primary tectonic setting of the Ring of Fire is subduction. Therefore, this zone is not known for divergent plate margins.
• Divergent plate margins (where plates pull apart, like the Mid-Atlantic Ridge) are a separate geological feature.
• The belt creates many island arcs (e.g., Japan, Philippines, Aleutians) and mountain chains (e.g., Andes, Cascades) due to the immense pressures exerted by plate convergence.