The Kuril Islands form part of the ring of tectonic instability encircling the Pacific Ocean referred to as the Ring of Fire . The islands themselves are summits of stratovolcanoes that are a direct result of the subduction of the Pacific Plate under the Okhotsk Plate , which forms the Kuril Trench some east of the islands . The chain has around 100 volcanoes , some 40 of which are active , and many hot springs and fumaroles . There is frequent seismic activity , including a magnitude 8.5 earthquake in 1963 and one of magnitude 8.3 recorded on November 15 , 2006 , which resulted in tsunami waves up to reaching the California coast . Raikoke Island , near the centre of the archipelago has an active volcano which erupted again in June 2019 , with emissions reaching 13,000 m . The climate on the islands is generally severe , with long , cold , stormy winters and short and notoriously foggy summers . The average annual precipitation is , most of which falls as snow
8.5 earthquake
1963 Kuril Islands earthquake
Kuril Islands