Boulder, Colorado is located in a region often referred to as the Rocky Mountain region or the Front Range. The Rocky Mountains extend 3,000 miles northward from central New Mexico through west central Colorado to northern Alberta, Canada. The Rockies are high, rugged, young mountains, and rise to heights of more than 4,265 meters (14,000 feet). The Front Range refers to the area along the foothills and mountains of the southern Rockies west of Denver, Colorado. Colorado?s population is concentrated along the eastern slope of the Rockies, especially along the Front Range.

Japan is located in a region called the Ring of Fire. Volcanic arcs and oceanic trenches that partly circle the Pacific Ocean Basin form the Ring of Fire. The Ring of Fire is a zone of frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Japan?s four main islands and hundreds of smaller islands are located in the Ring of Fire. The islands of Japan are volcanic islands occur in a long, narrow, curved chain called an arc.

In the below diagram, the trenches are shown in blue-green. The volcanic island arcs are parallel to the trenches, and are always closer to land than the trenches. The island arc associated with the islands of Japan is shown.

 

The Ring of Fire

 

Back to Home