Seismologists are now suggesting the Earth has entered into a relatively active seismic period.

The suggestion comes amid an upswing in seismic activity around the world, including large quakes in Ecuador, Japan, Myanmar, Indonesia and Afghanistan which have left dozens dead over the past couple of months.

Sun Shihong with the China Earthquake Networks Center says seismic cycles are spread out over long periods of time.

"Since 2004 the Earth has entered into a seismic active period. After the 1960s, there was no earthquake as high as 8.5-magnitute until the strong quake hit Indonesia in 2004. During that period, the Earth had a relatively low seismic activity. But now the seismic activity level has become higher."

In saying that, the seismologist says there is no reason for people to fear the worst.

"The ebb-and-flow of seismic activities are a relative concept. As such, the public doesn't need to panic about earthquakes. But governments should be paying closer attention to seismic activity. People should also be learning about earthquake knowledge to help them better cope in case of emergencies."

Most of the upswing in recent seismic activity around the world has been isolated to the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire.

This is the result of the massive Pacific tectonic plate pressing against other tectonic plates around it, causing the earth to shift.

The Pacific Ring of Fire, which cuts through Indonesia and Japan and runs along the west coast of North and South America, is one of the most seismically-active areas on earth.