Figure 78: Trenches of the Western Pacific. Sixteen ocean trenches are concentrated in the western Pacific. Four others are located elsewhere.¹ The area above, with 40,000 volcanoes taller than 1 kilometer, has obviously been greatly disturbed. The red cross marks the center of this concentrated trench region. Visualize earth as a sphere, not a flat map. Why is the center of this trench region almost exactly opposite the center of the Atlantic Ocean, both in latitude and longitude? The inset map shows a few trenches in green and, in orange, the ring of fire—a band of extreme volcanic and earthquake activity.