The Atlantic Ocean is getting larger as the Western Hemisphere moves away from Europe and Asia. The Pacific Ocean, on the other hand, is becoming smaller and smaller. This is occurring because the North American and South American plates are moving westward toward Asia and Australia.

The North and South American plates are crashing into the thinner and denser oceanic plates of the Pacific. This drives the oceanic plates deep into the mantle destroying the oceanic plates. This boundary in which an oceanic plate is driven down and destroyed by a continental plate is called a subduction zone.

This Pacific Ocean region has more earthquakes and volcanic activity than any other area of the world. Because of all the volcanoes this region has been given the nickname of "The Ring of Fire" .

Click on the "Next" button to see what happens at a subduction zone!!