AN AMAZING map plotting every earthquake of magnitude 4.0 or above in more than a century dramatically visualises the Ring of Fire and other quake hotspots.

In vibrant fluoro green, the map pinpoints the dynamic contact points where continental tectonic plates grind underneath each other, raising mountain ranges and causing the biggest earthquakes on the planet.

Also clearly visible are the spots where mid-ocean plates are moving away from each other, particularly in the Atlantic and Indian Ocean.

According to the map, Australia is one of the most geologically stable countries on Earth.

In June, a magnitude 5.4 earthquake in Victoria's Latrobe Valley shook homes, cracked windows and walls, and threw residents from their chairs. No one was seriously injured.

The map was created by designer John Nelson of IDVSolutions, a US software company that visualises data.

It merges data from America's Advanced National Seismic System and the United States Geological Survey with a map of the world centred on the Pacific Ocean.

"The result looks an awful lot like a fleet of Nickelodeon tankers spilled the world's supply of floam," said Nelson.

"If historical epicenters were floaties, you could walk from Seattle to Wellington."

Magnitude 4.0 or greater earthquakes are big enough to rattle buildings and break windows.

In March 2011, a massive magnitude 9.0 earthquake hit Japan, causing a huge tsunami than killed an estimated 15,800 people. It was the biggest quake recorded.

The map is a follow-up to an earlier project showing 50 years of tornado tracks across the United States.

Nelson points out that agencies only started properly recording "hard core" earthquakes in the 1960s.

There are 203,186 earthquakes marked on the map in total.



Floam is a reusable moulding compound for children made from polystyrene beads.