Chloe Zhang
The Pacific Plastic Dump, also known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP), is the largest accumulation of plastic in the open ocean. Located in the North Pacific Ocean, the GPGP is formed by ocean currents that draw in waste material from across the Pacific Rim, including countries in Asia, North America, and South America. The patch is made up of microplastics, tiny fragments of plastic smaller than 5mm in size, as well as larger debris such as fishing gear and shoes. While the exact amount of debris in the GPGP is unknown, it is estimated to contain around 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic and is believed to be rapidly accumulating. The build-up of plastic in the GPGP poses a significant threat to marine life, with microplastics entering the food chain and larger debris entangling and trapping fish and animals.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) |
| Other Names | Pacific trash vortex, North Pacific Garbage Patch |
| Location | North Pacific Ocean, halfway between Hawaii and California |
| Coordinates | 32°N and 145°W; 135°W to 155°W and 35°N to 42°N |
| Size | 1.6 million square kilometres (620,000 square miles) |
| Weight | 45,000–129,000 metric tons (50,000–79,000 short tons) |
| Composition | Microplastics, fishing gear, shoes, toothbrushes, water bottles, pens, baby bottles, cell phones, plastic bags, nurdles, and other plastic items |
| Plastic Pieces | 1.8 trillion |
| Plastic Weight | 80,000 tonnes |
| Discovery | 1997 by Captain Charles Moore |
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What You'll Learn
- The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) is the largest accumulation of plastic in the open ocean
- It is located between Hawaii and California in the North Pacific Ocean
- The GPGP is made up of microplastics and larger debris, such as fishing nets
- The patch is constantly changing shape and location due to winds and currents
- Global action and effective waste management are needed to tackle the root cause of plastic pollution
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) is the largest accumulation of plastic in the open ocean
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) is a collection of marine debris in the central North Pacific Ocean, located between Hawaii and California. It is the largest accumulation of plastic in the open ocean, spanning an area of 1.6 million square kilometres. The GPGP is one of five offshore plastic accumulation zones in the world's oceans, and its size and impact continue to grow.
The patch is made up of a variety of plastic items and fragments, including microplastics, which are tiny pieces of plastic smaller than 5mm in size. These microplastics account for 94% of the estimated 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic in the patch. The plastic originates from a range of sources, including land-based sources such as improper waste disposal and riverine systems, as well as marine sources such as boats and fishing gear. A 2014 study found that discarded fishing gear accounted for more than 60% of the mass of plastic marine debris in the GPGP.
The GPGP was discovered in 1997 by Captain Charles Moore, who noticed a steady stream of plastics while sailing from Hawaii to California. The patch is located within the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre, a slowly moving, clockwise spiral of currents created by a high-pressure system of air currents. The gyre's rotational pattern draws in waste material from across the North Pacific, including coastal waters off North America and Japan. As the material is captured in the currents, wind-driven surface currents gradually move it towards the centre, where it becomes trapped.
The impact of the GPGP on marine life is significant. Microplastics can enter the food chain when swallowed by fish, and the pollutants they contain become more concentrated as they move up the food web to top-level predators. Larger debris, such as fishing nets, can also trap and kill marine animals in a process known as "ghost fishing". The problem of plastic pollution in the GPGP is pervasive, and while cleanup efforts have been undertaken, addressing the root causes of plastic waste is crucial to tackling the issue effectively.
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It is located between Hawaii and California in the North Pacific Ocean
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) is the largest accumulation of plastic in the open ocean. It is located in the North Pacific Ocean, between Hawaii and California. The GPGP was discovered by Captain Charles Moore in 1997 while sailing from Hawaii to California. Moore noticed a steady stream of plastics bobbing in the ocean and, puzzled by the source of the litter, decided to investigate further.
The GPGP is a gyre of marine debris particles, bounded by the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre (NPSG). The NPSG is a slowly moving, clockwise spiral of currents created by a high-pressure system of air currents. The area is filled with tiny phytoplankton but few large fish or mammals, and gentle breezes, so fisherfolk and sailors rarely travel through it. The circular motion of the gyre draws debris into its stable centre, where it becomes trapped.
The GPGP is constantly changing shape and location due to seasonal and interannual variabilities of winds and currents. On average, it orbits around 32°N and 145°W, with seasonal shifts from west to east and substantial variations in latitude. The patch is not a solid mass of plastic but is instead made up of different-sized plastics, including microplastics, which are smaller than 5mm in size. These microplastics account for 94% of the estimated 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic that make up the GPGP.
The plastic in the GPGP originates from the Pacific Rim, including countries in Asia, North America, and South America. A 2020 study reported that the U.S. is the third-largest contributor to plastic pollution in coastal environments. China, Japan, South Korea, the U.S., and Taiwan are likely responsible for contributing 87% of fishing waste to the North Pacific Garbage Patch annually.
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The GPGP is made up of microplastics and larger debris, such as fishing nets
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) is a gyre of marine debris particles in the central North Pacific Ocean. It is the largest of the five offshore plastic accumulation zones in the world's oceans. The GPGP is made up of microplastics and larger debris, such as fishing nets.
Microplastics are tiny fragments of plastic smaller than 5mm in size that make up the vast majority of items in the GPGP. They are often microscopic and cannot be seen by the naked eye. These microplastics can enter the food chain when swallowed by fish, with the pollutants they contain becoming more concentrated as they move up the food web to top-level predators such as sharks, seals, and polar bears.
The larger debris in the GPGP includes fishing nets, which pose a significant threat to marine life. These net fragments can trap fish and animals such as turtles in a process known as 'ghost fishing', leading to their death. A 2014 study found that discarded fishing gear, including nets, accounted for more than 60% of the mass of plastic marine debris. A 2018 study reported that synthetic fishing nets made up nearly half the mass of the GPGP, due to ocean current dynamics and increased fishing activity in the Pacific Ocean.
The GPGP is not a solid mass of plastic but rather a widely dispersed area of different-sized plastics, often described as a murky or cloudy soup. It is constantly changing due to seasonal and interannual variabilities of winds and currents, making it challenging to measure and visualise. While it cannot be seen from space, the scale of the GPGP is immense, with an estimated 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic and a weight of around 500 jumbo jets' worth of plastic.
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The patch is constantly changing shape and location due to winds and currents
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) is a gyre of marine debris particles in the central North Pacific Ocean. It is located between Hawaii and California, halfway between the two states. The GPGP is the largest of the five offshore plastic accumulation zones in the world's oceans.
The GPGP is constantly changing shape and location due to winds and currents. The North Pacific Subtropical Gyre, a slowly moving, clockwise spiral of currents created by a high-pressure system of air currents, surrounds the GPGP. The area in the centre of the gyre tends to be very calm and stable, but the circular motion of the gyre draws debris into this stable centre, where it becomes trapped. Due to seasonal and interannual variabilities of winds and currents, the GPGP's location and shape are constantly changing. Only floating objects that are predominantly influenced by currents and less by winds were likely to remain within the patch.
The GPGP is made up of a variety of plastic waste, including bottles, containers, fishing nets, and microparticles. The patch is believed to have increased "10-fold each decade" since 1945. The gyre contains approximately six pounds of plastic for every pound of plankton. Microplastics, tiny fragments of plastic smaller than 5mm in size, make up the vast majority of items in the GPGP. These microplastics can enter the food chain when swallowed by fish, with the pollutants they contain becoming more concentrated as they move up the food web to top-level predators.
The Ocean Cleanup project has been working to clean up the GPGP, removing more than one million pounds of trash from the patch by the end of 2024. However, the inflow of plastic into the patch continues to exceed the outflow, and the scale of the plastic dump only continues to grow.
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Global action and effective waste management are needed to tackle the root cause of plastic pollution
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP), also known as the Pacific trash vortex, is the largest accumulation of plastic in the open ocean. It is located in the North Pacific Ocean, halfway between Hawaii and California. The GPGP is not a giant island of floating garbage as often imagined, but rather a widely dispersed area of microscopic plastic particles, known as microplastics, with larger items such as fishing gear and shoes interspersed. These microplastics are the result of larger plastics breaking down into smaller pieces over time, rather than biodegrading.
The patch formed due to ocean currents, particularly the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre, which draws waste material from across the North Pacific, including coastal waters off North America and Japan. The gyre's calm centre traps the debris that is gradually moved towards it by wind-driven surface currents. The GPGP is constantly changing shape and location due to seasonal and interannual variabilities of winds and currents.
The plastic waste in the GPGP comes from both land-based sources and marine sources. A significant amount of the plastic originates from the fishing industry, with a 2014 study finding that discarded fishing gear accounted for over 60% of the mass of plastic marine debris. A 2018 study reported that synthetic fishing nets made up nearly half the mass of the GPGP. Other sources of the plastic include manufacturing products, littering, and illegal dumping.
The impact of plastic pollution extends beyond the GPGP, as it is a global issue. Every year, 19-23 million tonnes of plastic waste leak into aquatic ecosystems, affecting lakes, rivers, and seas. Plastic pollution can alter habitats and natural processes, reducing ecosystems' ability to adapt to climate change and impacting millions of people's livelihoods and well-being.
To address the root cause of plastic pollution, global action and effective waste management are imperative. It is essential to improve waste management skills, introduce modern techniques, and implement sustainable production and consumption practices. This requires the active participation of policymakers, stakeholders, manufacturers, consumers, and waste management workers, as well as raising awareness among the general public. By addressing the issue at its source and working together on a global scale, we can make significant strides in mitigating the adverse effects of plastic pollution on our planet.
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Frequently asked questions
The Pacific Plastic Dump, also known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP), is the largest accumulation of plastic in the open ocean. It is located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, halfway between Hawaii and California.
The Pacific Plastic Dump is bigger than France, Germany and Spain combined and is growing rapidly. It stretches 1.6 million square kilometres and contains around 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic.
The Pacific Plastic Dump is made up of 94% microplastics, tiny fragments of plastic smaller than 5mm in size. The remaining 6% is made up of larger objects such as fishing gear, shoes, and plastic items associated with food, drinks and household items.
The Pacific Plastic Dump was discovered by Charles Moore, a racing boat captain, in 1997. Moore was sailing from Hawaii to California when he noticed millions of pieces of plastic surrounding his ship.
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