Sasha Says - Pacific Ring of Fire - a podcast by Whitestone Geopark

Podcast summary:

The Pacific Ring of Fire is known as the area around the edges of the Pacific tectonic plate where there is concentrated earthquake and volcanic activity.  

These earthquakes and volcanoes happen as a result of the Pacific Plate crashing against, subducting beneath and sliding against neighbouring tectonic plates.

In New Zealand, the Pacific Ring of Fire is where the Pacific Plate abuts the Indo-Australian Plate.  To the east of the North Island this happens in the Hikurangi subduction zone where the Pacific Plate is subducted beneath the Indo-Australian Plate.  The result is earthquakes and volcanism.  

To the South of the South Island there is subduction (in the opposite direction to that happening off the North Island).

In between these subduction zones, through the South Island, the margin of the Pacific and Indo-Australian Plates is marked by the Alpine Fault.  This has uplift (mountain building) as well as sideways movement.  This mountain building process is called the Kaikoura Orogeny which started 25 million years ago.  Tune in next week to learn more about the Kaikoura Orogeny!

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