The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, also described
as the Eastern Garbage Patch or the Pacific Trash
Vortex, is a gyre of marine litter in the central
North Pacific Ocean located roughly between 135°
to 155°W and 35° to 42°N and estimated to be
twice the size of Texas. The patch is
characterized by exceptionally high
concentrations of suspended plastic and other
debris that have been trapped by the currents of
the North Pacific Gyre. Despite its size and
density, the patch is not visible from satellite
photography because it consists of very, very
small pieces, almost invisible to the naked eye
and most of its contents are suspended at or beneath the surface of the ocean.
[...]
The size of the affected region is unknown, as
large items readily visible from the deck of a
boat are few and far between. Most of the debris
consists of small plastic particles suspended at
or just below the water surface, making it
impossible to detect by aircraft or satellite
images. Estimates on size range from 700,000 km²
to more than 15 million km², (0.41% to 8.1% of
the size of the Pacific Ocean), or "twice the
size as continental United States". The area may
contain over 100 million tons of debris. It has
also been suggested that the patch may represent
two areas of debris that are linked.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pacific_Garbage_Patch>Link
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Posted By johannes to
<http://www.monochrom.at/english/2009/09/great-pacific-garbage-patch.htm>monochrom
at 9/20/2009 07:16:00 PM
