The map highlights in yellow the zones of the Pacific Plate that are being pulled apart by the sinking tectonic plate along the Pacific Ring of Fire.

The so-called Ring of Fire is an area surrounding the Pacific tectonic plate where many of the world's earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur.

A new study looking at four plateaus in the western Pacific Ocean suggests ... as you can see on the map above. The team also modeled tectonic plate dynamics for four hypothetical plateaus located ...