Which one among the following explains the earthquakes of the eastern margins of Asia ?

The earthquakes along the eastern margins of Asia are primarily caused by the subduction of the Pacific Plate beneath the Eurasian (Asiatic) Plate [t1][t4]. This region is a major part of the 'Ring of Fire,' where oceanic lithosphere descends into the mantle, creating a deep seismic zone known as the Wadati-Benioff zone [t5][t8]. This subduction process triggers intense seismic activity, including deep-focus earthquakes and devastating tsunamis [t1][t4]. While the Philippine Sea Plate also subducts in this region, the Pacific Plate's interaction with the Eurasian margin is the dominant driver for the broad seismic belt in East Asia [t5][t7]. In contrast, the Indian plate's subduction under the Asiatic plate explains the Himalayan orogeny rather than the eastern maritime margins [c1][c4]. Other options, such as African-European or American-Pacific subduction, refer to different geographical regions entirely [c5][t8].

Sources

1. [1] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0012821X17300924
2. [2] https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/plate-tectonics-ring-fire/
3. [3] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 7: Tectonics > The Indo-Australian Plate > p. 104
4. [4] FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 4: Distribution of Oceans and Continents > MOVEMENT OF THE INDIAN PLATE > p. 34
5. [5] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 14: Earthquakes > Plate Tectonics > p. 178