Panic in Pacific

The path of the tsunami around the world after yesterday’s magnitude-8.9 earthquake off the coast of Japan, which is situated at the junction of the three Pacific, Philippine and Eurasian tectonic plates. When the older, more dense Pacific Plate moves steadily west and encounters the younger Philippine Plate, it pushes below it and results in intense earthquake and volcanic activity. It has formed the deep Mariana Trench, which lies 10,973 metres below sea level – the deepest known region of the world's oceans.