Great pacific garbage patch simple english wikipedia. Also, ocean features are a moving target and the borders and content of the area constantly change with ocean currents and wind. Marine debris concentrates in various regions of the north pacific, not just in one area. Dutch group to rid great pacific garbage patch of trash in 2018 tomonews duration. In this independent documentary film, journalistfilmmaker angela sun travels on a. The great pacific garbage patch what you need to know. We contribute to it everyday by littering and using unbiodegradable materials. Ben lecomtes historic swim across the pacific ocean is a feat that cant be missed. Most people refer to the great pacific garbage patch as a trash island. A sampling of plastic from the great pacific garbage patch. Garbage patches are large areas of marine debris concentration that are formed by rotating ocean currents called gyres kind of like big whirlpools that suck things in. While this is certainly the most talked about garbage patch, it is not the only garbage patch in the ocean. Great pacific garbage patch study reveals far more plastic. For noaa, a national science agency, separating science from science fiction about the pacific garbage patch.
How the great pacific garbage patch is destroying the. The great pacific garbage patch is a region in the center of the north pacific where, by coincidence of ocean currents, trash has gathered in an area larger than twice the size of texas. Although moore is known for drawing attention to this. The biggest one is known as the great pacific garbage patch, or the pacific trash vortex. The great pacific garbage patch, also described as the pacific trash vortex, is a gyre of marine debris particles in the northcentral pacific ocean. Great pacific garbage patch now three times the size of. The pacific ocean is the largest and deepest of earths oceanic divisions. The great pacific garbage patch is an enormous gyre located in the northcentral pacific ocean. Although the myth of the great pacific garbage patch as a floating plastic island has been busted, the remaining facts are grim. More than half of this plastic is less dense than the water, meaning that it will not sink once it encounters the sea.
Definition of garbage patch, buzzword from macmillan. Its not a floating island of trash, like a garbage dump or a landfill. Marine debris is litter that ends up in oceans, seas, and other large bodies of water. Three ocean basins are rife with plastics, marine organisms consume plastic instead of plankton, and toxins climb up the food chain to humans. It extends from the arctic ocean in the north to the southern ocean or, depending on definition, to antarctica in the south and is bounded by the continents of asia and australia in the west and the americas in the east at 165,250,000 square kilometers 63,800,000 square miles in area as defined with an antarctic. The insane true scale of the great pacific garbage patch. It is located roughly from 5w to 155w and 35n to 42n. Our stories parse meaning from the noise in a world of rapidly changing information. The great pacific garbage patch is one of many areas in the ocean where marine debris naturally concentrates because of ocean currents. The garbage patch is a popular name for concentrations of marine debris in the north pacific ocean.
Watertight and endlessly malleable, plastic is the perfect invention yet, its miraculous. 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 ocean sized problem. Interestingly enough, 46% of the total mass of the trash found in this region is composed of discarded fishing gear. The most famous example of a gyres tendency to take out our trash is the great pacific garbage patch located in the north pacific gyre. 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. The great pacific garbage patch is not what you think it is youtube. Because microplastics are smaller than a pencil eraser, they are not. According to the national geographic about 80 percent of the debris in the great pacific garbage patch comes from landbased activities in north america and asia and the other 20 percent comes. The great pacific garbage patch is a massive area measuring more than 1. The great pacific garbage patch explained research the. Regardless of how big it is or where it is located, it is clear that the pacific garbage patch does not belong in our ocean and we need to learn more about this feature so that we can properly address it. Everyday we talk about entertainment, the internet, culture, and important social issues. Pop trigger is your unfiltered talk show about real life. The garbage patch is not exactly a patch after its discovery in the late 90s, the great pacific garbage patch took on an image in the popular imagination akin to an island or even a.
Scientists of the ocean cleanup have conducted the most extensive analysis ever of this area. Its more like pepper flakes swirling in a soup than something you can skim off the surface. Plastic paradise documentary by angela sun on the great pacific. Angela sun talks about 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. I purchased this film for my 9th grade earth science courses for the oceanography unit.
The pacific garbage patch is an island of plastic bags and all nature of plastic objects about a few feet thick and it stretches for miles in every direction. The great pacific garbage patch alone occupies nearly 3. Atoll, to uncover the truth behind the mystery of the great pacific garbage patch. The great pacific garbage patch is in the pacific ocean between hawaii and california. I gave this documentary 7 of 10 for sounding an alarm that needs to be. Marine debris concentrates in various regions of the north pacific. Sun describes the great pacific garbage patch gpgp in the north pacific as.
However, holly bamford who is a former director of noaa differs with this description. The great pacific garbage patch, also known as the pacific trash vortex, spans waters from the west coast of north america to japan. And yet its become ground zero for the great pacific garbage patch. This is a great assignment for online learning or pbl. Scientists of the ocean cleanup foundation have conducted the most extensive analysis ever of this area. 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. Sun offers a fresh, new voice for her generation and has made a film that can appeal to the. See more ideas about great pacific garbage patch, ocean pollution and plastic pollution. They exist all throughout the ocean, and the pacific garbage patch just happens to be the most famous. Great pacific garbage patch ocean pollution awareness.
This film takes the position of halting or diminishing plastic consumption. Vice sails to the north pacific gyre, collecting point for all of the ocean s flotsam and home of the great pacific garbage patch. While some areas of the patch have more trash than others, much of the debris is made of microplastics by count. The students goal is to learn about the great pacific garbage patch and ocean pollution, research the impact of plastics pollution on oceans, and present that information as an eyecatching powerpoint. After three weeks of testing and travel, the ocean cleanup system has arrived at the great pacific garbage patch to pick up plastic pollution. This swirling soup of trash up to 10 meters deep and just below the water surface is composed mainly of nondegradable plastics. The great pacific garbage patch was first discovered in the late 1990s by oceanographer charles j moore, who on returning to southern california after a sailing race, saw an enormous stretch of floating debris, despite being hundreds of miles from land. The great pacific garbage patch is a big patch of garbage and debris in the middle of the northern pacific ocean. The great pacific garbage patch is a massive dump of floating garbage in the pacific ocean. The great pacific garbage patch, also described as the pacific trash vortex, is a gyre of marine debris particles in the north central pacific ocean. The great pacific garbage patch gpgp is an intriguing and publicized environmental problem.
The exact size, content, and location of the garbage patches are difficult to accurately. The problem relates to materials science and the advent of. Ocean advocate ben lecomte will swim 300 nautical miles through the great pacific garbage patch, beginning on june 8, 2019 world ocean. Great pacific garbage patch national geographic society.
The collection of plastic and floating trash originates from the pacific rim, including countries in asia, north america, and south america. Great pacific garbage patch, a zone in the pacific ocean between hawaii and california that has a high concentration of plastic waste. Along the way she encounters scientists, industry, legislators and activists who shed light on what our societys vast consumption of disposable. These plastic materials trap aquatic life and poison them by physical blockage or as carriers of toxic pollutants. The extent of the patch has been compared to the u. Learn about what causes it and how we are working together to clean up this mess. A garbage patch is made up of tiny plastic pieces called microplastics that are less than 5 millimeters long. Facts about the great pacific garbage patch answers. Greatly harming our oceans, and killing and injuring countless marine.
The great pacific garbage patch is the largest accumulation of ocean plastic in the world and is located between hawaii and california. The great pacific garbage patch is a collection of marine debris in the north pacific ocean. A study that was conducted early this year revealed that the area of about 1. The patch is an area of concentrated and mostly plastic marine debris. Angela suns journey of discovery to one of the most remote places on earth, midway atoll, to uncover the truth behind the mystery of the great pacific garbage patch. The great pacific garbage patch is ballooning, 87,000. In the early 21st century, rumors about an island of garbage somewhere in the paci. The great pacific garbage patch lesson teachengineering. This video explores the insane true scale of the great pacific garbage patch. In the film, she makes her way to remote midway atoll, just south of the north pacific.
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