Alexei Volkov
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, also known as the Pacific Trash Vortex or North Pacific Garbage Patch, is a gyre of marine debris particles in the central North Pacific Ocean. It is located roughly from 135°W to 155°W and 35°N to 42°N. Despite common perception, the patch does not exist as a giant island of floating garbage. Instead, it is a widely dispersed area consisting primarily of fingernail-sized or smaller particles in the upper water column known as microplastics. The patch covers approximately 1.6 million square kilometres, an area twice the size of Texas and three times the size of France, with an estimated 80,000 metric tons of garbage.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Great Pacific Garbage Patch, Pacific trash vortex, North Pacific Garbage Patch |
| Location | North Pacific Ocean |
| Coordinates | 135°W to 155°W and 35°N to 42°N |
| Size | 1.6 million square kilometres (0.62 million square miles) |
| Plastic Concentration | 10–100 kilograms per square kilometre (57–571 lb/sq mi) |
| Weight | 80,000 metric tons (88,000 short tons) |
| Number of Pieces | 1.8 trillion |
| Percentage of Mass Consisting of Larger Objects | 92% |
| Plastic Types | Bottles, toothbrushes, plastic bags, mobile phones, paper pulp, lighters, water bottles, pens, baby bottles, plastic bags, nurdles |
| Year of Discovery | 1990s |
| Discoverer | Captain and oceanographer Charles J. Moore |
| Year of First Report | 1980s |
| Cleanup Method | System 002, System 03 |
| Cleanup Organisation | The Ocean Cleanup |
| Cleanup Progress (as of July 2022) | 100,000 kilograms (220,000 lb; 100 t; 110 short tons) |
| Number of Species Interacting with Human-Made Debris | 693 |
| Percentage of Species Vulnerable to Extinction | 17% |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is not a solid island
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) is the largest accumulation of plastic in the open ocean. It is located in the central North Pacific Ocean, halfway between Hawaii and California. Despite being the largest of the five offshore plastic accumulation zones in the world's oceans, the GPGP is not a solid island.
The name "Great Pacific Garbage Patch" conjures images of a floating landfill in the middle of the ocean, with miles of plastic bottles and other litter. This image of a literal island of trash is perpetuated by the media, which often uses aerial photographs to depict the GPGP. However, these images do not paint an accurate picture of the marine debris problem in the North Pacific Ocean.
In reality, the GPGP is a widely dispersed area consisting primarily of suspended "fingernail-sized or smaller"—often microscopic—particles in the upper water column known as microplastics. These microplastics are smaller than 5mm in size and are suspended throughout the water column, making them almost invisible to the naked eye. Instead of a solid mass, the ocean in the GPGP looks like a murky soup, with different-sized plastics floating at or just below the surface.
The low density of the microplastics in the GPGP (4 particles per cubic metre) prevents detection by satellite imagery or even by casual boaters or divers in the area. In fact, ships can sail in and out of the GPGP, and mariners may not even realise they are passing through a garbage patch. This has led to some misconceptions about the urgency of the problem, with people assuming that because they cannot see the garbage patch, it is not a significant issue.
The GPGP is believed to have increased "10-fold each decade" since 1945, with plastic in the patch rapidly accumulating. The gyre contains approximately six pounds of plastic for every pound of plankton, and the patch is estimated to cover 1.6 million square kilometres, consisting of 45,000–129,000 metric tons of plastic. While the exact size of the patch is difficult to determine, it is clear that the GPGP is not a solid island but rather a dispersed and dynamic area of high plastic concentration.
New Plastic Cards: Medicare's Latest Initiative
You may want to see also
Explore related products
It's a gyre of marine debris particles in the North Pacific Ocean
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a gyre of marine debris particles in the North Pacific Ocean. It is located roughly from 135°W to 155°W and 35°N to 42°N. It is not a solid mass of plastic but rather a collection of small bits of plastic or microplastics, smaller than 5mm in size, suspended throughout the water column. These microplastics are nearly ubiquitous in the marine environment and may come from larger pieces of plastic that have broken down over time, from fleece jackets or plastic microbeads added to face scrubs.
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is the largest of the five plastic accumulation zones in the world's oceans. It is part of a circular area of water, or vortex, that moves around the North Pacific Ocean, where four major currents trap water and plastic pollution into an encircled area. The plastic in this gyre originates from the Pacific Rim, including countries in Asia, North America, and South America.
The patch covers an approximate surface area of 1.6 million square kilometres (620,000 square miles), with a concentration of 10-100 kilograms per square kilometre. It is estimated to contain 80,000 metric tons of garbage, with 1.8 trillion plastic pieces, and is believed to have increased "10-fold each decade" since 1945. The low density of the patch (4 particles per cubic metre) prevents detection by satellite imagery or even by casual boaters or divers in the area.
Efforts to clean up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch are ongoing, with organisations like The Ocean Cleanup bringing together scientists, engineers, and other specialists to find effective solutions. In July 2022, The Ocean Cleanup announced that they had removed 100,000 kilograms of plastic from the patch using "System 002" and planned to transition to "System 03", which is expected to be 10 times more effective.
Harney and Sons Tea: Plastic-Free or Not?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
The patch covers 1.6 million square kilometres
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, also known as the Pacific trash vortex or North Pacific Garbage Patch, is a gyre of marine debris particles in the central North Pacific Ocean. It is not a solid mass, but rather a widely dispersed area consisting primarily of ""fingernail-sized or smaller"—often microscopic—particles in the upper water column known as microplastics. These microplastics are nearly ubiquitous in the marine environment and may come from larger pieces of plastic that have broken down over time, from sources such as fleece jackets or plastic microbeads found in face scrubs.
Despite the common perception of the patch as giant islands of floating garbage, its low density (4 particles per cubic metre) makes it impossible to detect by satellite imagery or even by casual boaters or divers in the area. The size of the patch is determined by sampling, and estimates range from 700,000 square kilometres (about the size of Texas) to more than 15,000,000 square kilometres (twice the size of the United States).
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is one of five offshore plastic accumulation zones in the world's oceans, and it is the largest of these zones. It is located halfway between Hawaii and California, trapped in the Pacific currents between Japan, the Hawaiian Islands, and California. The patch was discovered in the second half of the 1990s by Captain and oceanographer Charles J. Moore, who later founded one of the institutions to examine it.
Restoring Car Plastic Interiors: Tips for a Fresh Look
You may want to see also
Explore related products
It's not visible from aircraft or satellites
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, also known as the Pacific trash vortex or North Pacific Garbage Patch, is the largest accumulation of plastic in the open ocean. It is located in the central North Pacific Ocean, halfway between Hawaii and California. The patch covers an estimated surface area of just over 617,762 square miles, or 1.6 million square kilometres.
Despite its massive size, the patch is not visible from aircraft or satellites. This is because the patch is not a solid mass of trash, as is often imagined, but rather a dispersed area of small plastic particles, or microplastics, suspended at or just below the surface of the water. These microplastics are often "fingernail-sized or smaller" and are nearly invisible to the naked eye, making them difficult to detect from the air or space.
The misconception that the garbage patch is a floating island has made conservation more challenging, according to some experts. The public perception of the patch as a giant island of floating garbage has led to a disconnect between the reality of the issue and the steps needed to address it effectively.
While it is not visible to the naked eye from an aircraft or satellite, the patch can be detected using advanced technology. Researchers have developed methods to identify areas with high plastic pollution through satellite technology by evaluating the decrease in ocean surface roughness caused by plastics dampening the waves. Additionally, machine learning techniques have been applied to optical data collected by satellites to distinguish suspected plastics from natural materials such as seaweed and driftwood with high accuracy.
The Ocean Cleanup, a nonprofit organisation dedicated to cleaning up the world's oceans, has conducted aerial expeditions using advanced sensors and cameras to study the patch and determine its size and characteristics. These efforts have provided valuable data and helped raise awareness about the issue of plastic pollution in our oceans.
Cats Lick Plastic: What's the Reason Behind This Odd Behavior?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
It's made up of 80,000 metric tons of garbage
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, also known as the Pacific trash vortex or North Pacific Garbage Patch, is a gyre of marine debris particles in the central North Pacific Ocean. It is located roughly from 135°W to 155°W and 35°N to 42°N. The collection of plastic and floating trash originates from the Pacific Rim, including countries in Asia, North America, and South America.
Despite public perception, the patch does not exist as giant islands of floating garbage. Instead, its low density (4 particles per cubic meter) prevents detection by satellite imagery or even by casual boaters or divers in the area. The patch is a widely dispersed area consisting primarily of suspended "fingernail-sized or smaller"—often microscopic—particles in the upper water column known as microplastics.
The patch covers 1.6 million square kilometers (620,000 square miles) with a concentration of 10-100 kilograms per square kilometer (57-571 lb/sq mi). It is estimated to contain 80,000 metric tons (88,000 short tons) of garbage, with 1.8 trillion plastic pieces. 92% of the mass is found in objects larger than 0.5 centimeters (3⁄16 in), including "plastic lighters, toothbrushes, water bottles, pens, baby bottles, cell phones, plastic bags, and nurdles". The patch is believed to be rapidly accumulating, increasing "10-fold each decade" since 1945.
The Ocean Cleanup project has made significant efforts to remove garbage from the patch. In 2021, they collected 63,182 pounds (28,659 kg; 31.591 short tons; 28.659 t) of plastic using their "System 002". By July 2022, they had removed 100,000 kilograms (220,000 lb; 100 t; 110 short tons) of plastic and transitioned to "System 03", which is expected to be 10 times more effective. The group aims to clean up the entire patch within ten years.
Plastic Waste: Where Does It Float?
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
The plastic island, also known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, is not a solid island but a gyre of marine debris particles in the central North Pacific Ocean. It covers an area of 1.6 million square kilometres, twice the size of Texas and three times the size of France.
The Garbage Patch is made up of Eastern and Western parts connected by a stream with a smaller concentration of waste. It is primarily composed of plastic, including items such as bottles, toothbrushes, plastic bags, mobile phones, and paper pulp.
The Garbage Patch was discovered in the second half of the 1990s by captain and oceanographer Charles J. Moore. He first came upon an enormous stretch of floating debris in the North Pacific Gyre after competing in the Transpacific Yacht Race in 1997.
