Which one among the following best explains the reason for the eastern and western boundaries of the Pacific Ocean experiencing frequent earthquake?

The eastern and western boundaries of the Pacific Ocean are characterized by intense seismic activity because they coincide with the margins of tectonic plates [7]. This region, known as the 'Circum-Pacific Belt' or 'Ring of Fire', accounts for approximately 68 to 80 percent of the world's earthquakes [4]. The frequent earthquakes are primarily caused by the interaction of the Pacific Plate with surrounding plates, such as the Philippine, Nazca, and North American plates [7]. Most of these boundaries are convergent, where oceanic plates subduct beneath continental or other oceanic plates [4]. While deep ocean trenches and high mountain ranges (like the Andes) are physical features resulting from these interactions, the fundamental reason for the seismic frequency is the presence of active plate margins where stress accumulates and is released through tectonic movement [6].

Sources

1. [2] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 14: Earthquakes > 14.4. Distribution of Earthquakes > p. 181
2. [7] https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/plate-tectonics-ring-fire/
3. [4] https://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/understanding.html
4. [1] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 8: Convergent Boundary > 8.2. Continent-Ocean (C-O) Convergence or The Cordilleran Convergence > p. 116
5. [5] https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/ocean-fact/tectonic-features/
6. [6] https://www.nps.gov/subjects/geology/plate-tectonics-subduction-zones.htm