Geology of the Pacific Northwest debris. Rising above this volcanic platform are a few strikingly large volcanoes that dominate the landscape. The Cascade volcanoes define the Pacific Northwest section of the Ring of Fire, an array of volcanoes that rim the Pacific Ocean. The Ring of Fire is also known for its frequent earthquakes. The volcanoes and earthquakes arise from a common source: subduction. Beneath the Cascade Volcanic Arc, a dense oceanic plate plunges beneath the North American Plate; a process known as subduction. As the oceanic slab sinks deep into the Earth's interior beneath the continental plate, high temperatures and pressures allow water molecules
Ring of Fire (1991 film) Ring of Fire (1991 film) Ring of Fire is a 1991 documentary film in IMAX format. It looks at some of the varieties of volcanism and earthquake activity in the Ring of Fire, around the Pacific Rim. The film runs 40 minutes. The film was jointly presented by the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History in Fort Worth, Texas, the Science Museum of Minnesota in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and the Reuben H. Fleet Space Theater and Science Center in San Diego, California. The film has eight main segments, corresponding to chapters in the DVD release: 1. "Ring of Fire":