Seismic zone

In seismology, a Seismic Zone or Seismic Belt is an area of seismicity potentially sharing a common cause. It can be referred to as an Earthquake Belt as well. It may also be a region on a map for which a common areal rate of seismicity is assumed for the purpose of calculating probabilistic ground motions. An obsolete definition is a region on a map in which a common level of seismic design is required.

The Major Seismic Zones
A type of seismic zone is a Wadati–Benioff zone which corresponds with the down-going slab in a subduction zone. The world's greatest Seismic Belt, known as the Circum-Pacific seismic belt,  is where a majority of the Earth's quakes occur. Approximately 81% of major earthquakes occur along this belt. The Circum-Pacific seismic belt has earned its own nickname and is often referred to as the Ring of Fire, a ring-like formation that encompasses a majority of the Pacific Ocean. The Notorious San Andreas Fault, responsible for many major quakes in the West Coast of the United States, lies within the Circum-Pacific Seismic Belt or Ring of Fire.

Examples

 * Charlevoix Seismic Zone (Quebec, Canada)
 * New Madrid Seismic Zone (Midwestern United States)
 * South West Seismic Zone (Western Australia)