Earthquakes are not randomly distributed but are mainly concentrated along the boundaries of tectonic plates. The key regions where earthquakes are most frequent include:
- The Pacific Ring of Fire, which forms a horseshoe shape around the Pacific Ocean and accounts for about 90% of the world's earthquakes. This includes countries like Japan, Indonesia, and the west coast of the Americas.
- The Mid-Atlantic Ridge, an underwater mountain range where tectonic plates are diverging.
- The Himalayan region, where the Indian Plate collides with the Eurasian Plate.
- Other continental rift zones such as the East African Rift Valley.
Most earthquakes occur near convergent plate margins (subduction zones and mountain-building zones) and divergent plate margins (where plates are pulling apart), as well as transform boundaries like the San Andreas Fault. Some earthquakes also happen away from plate boundaries due to ancient fault lines or intraplate stresses. In summary, earthquakes predominantly happen at tectonic plate edges and along active faults related to plate movements, with the Pacific Ring of Fire being the most seismically active zone globally.