By now, you have probably heard of the great pacific garbage patch. The great pacific garbage patch is a massive area measuring more than 1. It was discovered by oceanographer and boat captain charles moore. That would be the great pacific garbage patchthe enormous collection of. Interesting facts about the great pacific garbage patch. If you picked up each piece of plastic in the great pacific garbage patch youd carry away about 1. The great pacific garbage patch is the worlds largest collection of floating trashand the most famous.
The garbage patch in the pacific is the largest known on the planet, but several others can be found in other oceans five main ones are often reported. Oct 17, 2018 how big the great pacific garbage patch really is. The great pacific garbage patch is a collection of marine debris in the north pacific ocean. The size of the patch is indefinite, as is the precise distribution of debris. The eastern patch alone covers a surface area about the size of texas or about 268,000 square miles. The great pacific garbage patch is big, getting bigger. The great pacific garbage patch gpgp is the largest of the five offshore plastic accumulation zones in the worlds oceans. The great pacific garbage patch, also known as the pacific trash vortex, spans waters from the west coast of north america to japan. Great pacific garbage patch simple english wikipedia. Dec 31, 2019 the great pacific garbage patch was formed through the gradual accumulation of marine pollution in the north pacific gyre.
Great pacific garbage patch is bigger and mostly made of. It is a vortex of debris that covers an estimated surface of 1. In this episode, dianna parker from the noaa marine debris program explains what a garbage patch is and isnt, what we know and dont know, and what we can do about this oceansized problem. Great pacific garbage patch study reveals far more plastic. Isnt it an irony that the worlds biggest garbage dump is located in the worlds biggest ocean. While great pacific garbage patch is a term often used by the media, it does not paint an accurate picture of the marine debris problem in the north pacific ocean. While higher concentrations of litter items can be found in the great pacific garbage patch, along with other debris such as derelict fishing nets, much of the debris is actually small pieces of floating plastic that are not immediately evident to the naked eye.
While some areas of the patch have more trash than others, much of the debris is made of microplastics by count. Eight million tons of plastic winds up into the worlds oceans every year, much of that accumulating in the great pacific garbage patch. Ocean currents carry plastic debris into a subtropical gyre, where it remains. According to research published last month, its increasing exponentially and at a faster rate than in surrounding waters.
Eight million tons of plastic waste ends up in the earths oceans each year. The north pacific subtropical gyre is too large for scientists to trawl. The name pacific garbage patch has led many to believe that this area is a large and continuous patch of easily visible marine debris items such as bottles and other litterakin. The collection of plastic and floating trash originates from the pacific rim, including countries in asia, north america, and south america. As wide and deep as the pacific ocean goes, there are still things hidden in its waters. It is not as big or as popular as the texassized great pacific garbage patch, but it poses the same health risk to animals, birds, other marine mammals and us. Great pacific garbage patch is bigger and mostly made of fishing. This area, however, consists of two regions of plastic litter, namely the eastern and the western patches. The number appeared to come from a 2008 quote from marcus eriksen, the. With up to 2 million tons of plastic entering the ocean each year, experts estimate. So yes, this garbage patch could mess with texas and probably win. Home ocean facts what is the great pacific garbage patch. It formed because currents near the center of the northern pacific ocean move around in a kind of circle, which catches and holds floating pieces of plastic.
The great pacific garbage patch is 16 times bigger than. The great pacific garbage patch, also described as the pacific trash vortex, is a gyre of marine debris particles in the northcentral pacific ocean. For noaa, a national science agency, separating science from science fiction about the pacific garbage patch. Jul 30, 2015 the claim that the great pacific garbage patch covers 8.
Because microplastics are smaller than a pencil eraser, they are not. It is not as big or as popular as the texassized great. Great pacific garbage patch now three times the size of. The great pacific garbage patch stretches from the west coast of north america to japan. Apr 09, 2020 while great pacific garbage patch is a term often used by the media, it does not paint an accurate picture of the marine debris problem in the north pacific ocean. Great pacific garbage patch simple english wikipedia, the. The great pacific garbage patch is the worlds biggest area of marine debris. Great pacific garbage patch national geographic society. Marine debris is litter that ends up in oceans, seas, and other large bodies of water. The great pacific garbage patch is a unique vortex of plastic debris that floats in the ocean between the western coast of the united states and hawaii. The great pacific garbage patch is a big patch of garbage and debris in the middle of the northern pacific ocean. Captain charles moore was the first to notice the great pacific garbage patch in 1997. The extent of the patch has been compared to the u.
The great pacific garbage patch, or the pacific trash vortex, is an endless stream of garbage debris that. The patch is actually comprised of the western garbage patch, located near japan. In recent years, there has been a lot of misinformation spread about garbage patches and so now, we are here to try to clear up some of these myths. Some strange facts about the great pacific garbage patch. The great pacific garbage patch is proof of the extent of pollution in our oceans.
Debunking the myths about garbage patches response. The great pacific garbage patch is 16 times bigger than thought. Dec 21, 20 instead, the garbage patch is composed of tiny plastic bits that linger unseen beneath the surface, ranging in size from a few square inches to barely visible specks. Mar 22, 2018 the great pacific garbage patch is an accumulation ofyou guessed ittrash that moves into a cyclic current of ocean running roughly between california and japan, surrounding the hawaiian islands. According to a threeyear study published in scientific reports friday, the mass known as the great pacific garbage patch is about 1. Great pacific garbage patch weighs more than 43,000 cars. While much of the rubble lurks beneath the surface of the sea, the vortex is large, complex, and continues to devastate our marine environment. The great pacific garbage patch is big, getting bigger citylab. Jul 14, 2016 interesting facts about the great pacific garbage patch. Algae and planktons actually form the food source for smaller marine creatures like fish and turtles. Great pacific garbage patch fun facts garbage image and. How big is the great pacific garbage patch business insider. The patch is actually comprised of the western garbage patch, located near japan, and the eastern garbage patch, located between the u.
To understand why there are so many, its important to understand the way in which plastic decays. Jan 31, 20 the great pacific garbage patch a team from the sea education association collected almost 70,000 pieces of plastic in the swirling waters in the northern part of the pacific ocean. The growing patch of garbage is chock full of all sort of things, chief among them plastic. The great pacific garbage patch is in the pacific ocean between hawaii and california. How much plastic floats in the great pacific garbage patch. Interesting facts about the great pacific garbage patch youtube. A close look at the great pacific garbage patch the. Oct 03, 2018 3 how big is the great pacific garbage patch the great pacific garbage patch covers approximately 1.
The great pacific garbage patch weighs 87,000 tons 16 times more than previous estimates and contains more than 1. When you wake up in the morning, the first thing you do is probably hit the snooze button on your plastic alarm clock. Jun 07, 2019 about 80 percent of debris in the great pacific garbage patch comes from land, much of which is plastic bags, bottles and various other consumer products. Plastic is killing our oceans issues, facts, and possible. The great pacific garbage patch is thought to be between 700,000 and 15,000,000 square kilometres. They have heard that there is an area of oceanic garbage twice the size of texas that is. Trash in the great pacific garbage patch has quadrupled. Unfortunately, one of them is the world famous trash. How big the great pacific garbage patch really is youtube. This area, however, consists of two regions of plastic. The ocean cleanup is developing a passive cleanup method, which uses the natural oceanic forces to rapidly and costeffectively clean up the plastic already in the oceans. The slurry of trash and seawater loosely held together by pacific currents. Found in late 80s it was first predicted by the alaska based researchers between 1985 and 1988. Thats twice the size of texas, or three times the size of france.
They have heard that there is an area of oceanic garbage twice the size of texas that is forming a huge floating landmass of trash. The great pacific garbage patch was formed through the gradual accumulation of marine pollution in the north pacific gyre. According to the ocean cleanup foundation, the great pacific garbage patch gpgp covers an estimated surface area of 1. The great pacific garbage patch is a huge area of marine debris. The total mass of plastic floating in the great pacific garbage patch is somewhere around 80,000 tonnes. These numbers are so big that its hard for us to picture an area of that size. Heartwrenching facts about the great pacific garbage patch. The exact size, content, and location of the garbage patches are difficult to accurately. It is located roughly from 5w to 155w and 35n to 42n. Visualisation showing how mass accumulates in gyres. The patch is comprised of two distinct patches, one closer to japan, and the other between hawaii and california. Facts about atlantic trash island the world counts. The great pacific garbage patch is one of many areas in the ocean where marine debris naturally concentrates because of ocean currents.
Great pacific garbage patch, a zone in the pacific ocean between hawaii and california that has a high concentration of plastic waste. The pacific ocean itself is estimated to be between 155,557,000 and 165,250,000 square kilometres. Mar 04, 2019 the garbage patch in the pacific is the largest known on the planet, but several others can be found in other oceans five main ones are often reported. The pacific garbage patch is not alone unbelievably, there are is another floating island of garbage in the atlantic ocean, in the sargasso sea. In this episode, dianna parker from the noaa marine. It is located halfway between hawaii and california. While higher concentrations of litter items can be found in the great pacific garbage patch, along with other debris such as derelict fishing nets, much of the debris is actually small pieces of. The other is the eastern garbage patch, between hawaii and california. The eastern patch is located roughly between hawaii and san francisco, while the western patch lies southeast of japan. In the united states, as well as in much of the developed world, we rely on plastic for virtually everything.
No one knows how much debris makes up the great pacific garbage patch. Absence of these organisms will affect those marine creatures. Great pacific garbage patch, zone in the pacific ocean between california and. The great pacific garbage patch contains a staggering number of pieces of plastic, estimated to be between 1.
The name conjures the image of a floating island made of familiar plastic trash such as soda bottles and plastic bags, disposable. The name pacific garbage patch may make it sound like this is a large, continuous island of visible trash such as bottles and tires floating in the ocean. The great pacific garbage patch, or the pacific trash vortex, is an endless stream of garbage debris that can be found between the states of hawaii and california, and from eastern japan to west hawaii. Marine debris concentrates in various regions of the north pacific, not just in one area. The great pacific garbage patch is thought to be between. Mar 23, 2018 a huge, swirling pile of rubbish in the pacific ocean is growing faster than expected and is now three times the size of france, researchers say. Here are some amazing facts about the great pacific garbage patch also known as pacific trash vortex that was formed by the same mechanism inside pacific ocean. Great pacific garbage patch now three times the size of france cnn.