South Pacific garbage patch

For marine debris gyres, see Garbage patch.
The South Pacific Gyre can be seen in the lack of oceanic currents off the west coast of South America. Map of ocean currents circa 1943
This photo demonstrates the dispersal of plastic fragments of various sizes
Visualization of the flow pattern of ocean pollutants

The South Pacific garbage patch is an area of ocean with increased levels of marine debris and plastic particle pollution, within the ocean's pelagic zone. This area is in the South Pacific Gyre, which itself spans from waters east of Australia to the South American continent, as far north as the Equator, and south until reaching the Antarctic Circumpolar Current.[1] The degradation of plastics in the ocean also leads to a rise in the level of toxics in the area.[2] The garbage patch was confirmed in mid-2017, and has been compared to the Great Pacific garbage patch's state in 2007, making the former ten years younger. The South Pacific garbage patch is not visible on satellites, and is not a landmass. Most particles are smaller than a grain of rice.[3] A researcher said: "This cloud of microplastics extends both vertically and horizontally. It's more like smog than a patch".[3]

  1. ^ "South Pacific Gyre – Correntes Oceânicas" – via Google Sites.
  2. ^ Barry, Carolyn (20 August 2009). "Plastic Breaks Down in Ocean, After All And Fast". National Geographic Society. Archived from the original on August 26, 2009.
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference alart was invoked but never defined (see the help page).