DOCSLIB.ORG

Foor Seniors Oceanography Packet.Pdf

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Foor Seniors Oceanography Packet.Pdf P a g e | 1 Seniors Oceanography Packet Name________________________ Below is work not completed from Quarter 2. Those of you have been notified of the pages you need to complete in order to earn credit. A reminder you can only receive a maximum letter grade of D. Pages 19 to 22 are to be used for the alternative exam assignment. P a g e | 2 Assignment 1: Currents Map Lab Procedure: A. Using the map provided on page 3, label all of the world’s currents by name. Color each current with the color that corresponds to the current’s temperature. Color the cool currents blue, and color the warm currents red. B. Next, answer all of the current questions below. Questions: 1. In the Northern Hemisphere, the circular pattern that gyres form from currents move in this direction: ___________________________________________ 2. What direction is the circular pattern that the gyres move in within the Southern Hemisphere? _______________________________________________ 3. In what latitudes do warm water currents originate? __________________________ Why are they warm? __________________________________________________ 4. In what latitudes do cold water currents originate? ___________________________ Why are they cold? ___________________________________________________ 5. Which current could circumnavigate the globe (carry a vessel around the world) without the assistance of any other current? _______________________________ 6. If you were traveling from South America to Australia, which three currents would you take to arrive there? __________________________________________________ 7. Explain the Ekman spiral: _______________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ What is the net movement of a current in an Ekman transport? ___________________ __________________________________________________________________ 8. If you were to drop a message in a bottle off the coast of Virginia, it would be carried by what current? _________________________ In what direction? _____________ 9. Which global wind belt produces the current off of the coast of Virginia? ___________ 10. Which global wind belt produces the Brazil & South Equatorial currents? ____________ 11. Which currents would bring icebergs south from the North Polar region? _________________________________________________________________ P a g e | 3 P a g e | 4 Assignment 2: CURRENTS Article Ocean and atmospheric circulation play an essential role in sustaining life by moderating climate over much of Earth's surface. Two circulation patterns dominate the ocean: wind-driven currents in the upper ocean and density-driven currents in the deep ocean. Wind-driven currents are maintained by energy transferred by the winds to the ocean surface. Surface currents form gyres roughly centered in each ocean basin. Viewed from above, currents in these subtropical gyres flow in a clockwise direction in the Northern Hemisphere and a counterclockwise direction in the Southern Hemisphere. Global surface current patterns are driven by the wind, impacted by the barriers to water flow (land masses) & the rotation of the earth. Western boundary currents (Gulf Stream) are among the fastest surface currents in the ocean. Western boundary currents occur along the western boundaries of ocean basins and flow toward the poles - north in the Northern Hemisphere and south in the Southern Hemisphere. Water moving in these currents transport large amounts of heat from tropics to upper latitudes. Eastern Boundary currents (California current) are slower, shallower, and wider than western boundary currents. These currents transport colder waters from the poles to the tropics. Once there the water is heated and transported poleward in the western boundary currents. How does this impact our lives? For centuries, people have used ocean surface currents to explore the world and transport goods to market. Today we use them to take the most efficient path to save fuel in the shipping industry, to win a sailboat race, and to track pollution such as oil spills or assist in search and rescue operations. Ocean surface currents contribute to studies of severe weather such as hurricanes, short-term climate phenomena such as El Niño, and long-term climate variability. OCEAN EDDIES An eddy is a loop of current that is cut off from the main current; in other words a small, spinning current. They are comparatively tiny, short-lived circulation patterns in the ocean. Ocean eddies move at speeds of about 0.5 knots (about 0.9 kilometers or 0.6 miles per hour) and may occasionally persist for many months. Eddies can be over 300 km (about 200 mi) in diameter. Such large eddies can be seen easily from space by thermal infrared P a g e | 5 sensors. The picture above shows the Gulf Stream and many eddies. The Gulf Stream is a Western Boundary current that separates two distinct water masses. The northwest water mass of nearshore water to the north is colder and more fertile than the water that is to the southeast of the Gulf Stream (called the Sargasso Sea). The nearshore water has a temperature of less than 10°C (50°F), while the temperature of the Sargasso Sea ranges from 15°C to 25°C (59°F to 77°F). In general, whether an eddy is cold-core or warm-core depends on which side of the Gulf Steam the water came from. A cold-core eddy is a ring of Gulf Stream water that flows counterclockwise around a cold, less salty mass of water. It is formed when a branch of the warm Gulf Stream “wanders off” and captures a piece of colder water from the northwest. A cold ring can be tracked for months before it dissipates into the surrounding ocean waters. A cold ring traps the nutrient-rich water from north of the Gulf Stream and transports both nutrients and plankton into the relatively barren Sargasso Sea. A warm-core eddy forms when water from the edge of the Gulf Stream breaks off from the current and moves into the colder water. Because the current is warmer than the surrounding water it is called a warm-core eddy and has a clockwise flow. This eddy drifts towards the coast and usually dissipates within a few months as it collides with the shallow continental shelf. Warm-core eddies trap and transport a variety of different kinds of animals normally not seen in colder waters. Questions – Answer in complete sentences. 1. What are the two types of ocean circulation current patterns? 2. What is a western boundary current? 3. What is the driving force behind the Gulf Stream? 4. If you were the president of a company that used ships to transport all your goods explain why you would choose either a western boundary current or an eastern boundary current. 5. In what ways are ocean currents used today? P a g e | 6 6. What is an eddy? 7. What is the typical temperature of the water in the Sargasso Sea? 8. What does a cold core eddy transport? 9. Which direction does a warm core eddy flow? 10. What causes a warm core eddy to dissipate? P a g e | 7 Assignment 3: Alternative to Plastic Ocean Plastic Micro-Debris Lab/SIO, Directions : Read the background, graph the data and answer the questions. Background: Plastic debris in the North Pacific Gyre (the Great Pacific Garbage Patch) are a concern at many levels. The introduction of plastic debris has recently become of interest to many studies and research expeditions. Gregory and Ryan (1997) reported that plastics comprise 60-80% of marine debris. It is typically composed of fragments of manufactured plastic products. (McDermid & McMullen 2004). Most plastics do not biodegrade. Unless they are removed, they remain in the sea for hundreds of years, breaking up into ever-smaller particles (Leahy 2004). Plastic does not just disappear when it enters the ocean, but rather is broken down through processes such as photodegradation. Photodegradation is thought to be one of the driving forces behind plastic breakdown, and occurs when ultraviolet waves of light from the sun break apart the bonds that hold plastic together, causing it to be brittle. This type of degradation creates microscopic pieces, difficult to see with the naked eye, but continually traveling throughout the North Pacific Gyre. The possibility of plastic accumulating in the ocean from countless sources raises many questions; notably because of the lack of effective methods to remove it. Information about the abundance and occurrence of plastic micro-debris particles, as well as quantitative information on how plastic particles change over time is limited (Gilfillan, 2009). Data: Quadrants <1mm 1mm-2mm 2.01mm-3mm 3..01mm-4mm >4mm Number of Pieces Number of 7 5 2 1 0 Styrofoam Quadrant Pieces A1 Number of 12 4 5 2 1 Plastic Pieces Number of 15 7 5 2 3 Styrofoam Quadrant Pieces A2 Number of 8 2 3 6 8 Plastic Pieces Number of 11 8 5 3 1 Styrofoam Quadrant Pieces B1 Number of 13 9 8 6 5 Plastic Pieces P a g e | 8 Number of 14 12 3 5 7 Styrofoam Quadrant Pieces B2 Number of 5 6 7 3 2 Plastic Pieces Number of 10 8 9 3 1 Styrofoam Quadrant Pieces C1 Number of 9 7 11 7 3 Plastic Pieces Number of 11 9 12 8 2 Styrofoam Quadrant Pieces C2 Number of 14 12 6 7 4 Plastic Pieces Data Analysis Place the totals from the data on a chart like the one provided. P a g e | 9 Questions (answer in complete sentences for full credit) 1. Do scientists know how much plastic exists in the ocean? 2. Explain why plastic is such an issue in the ocean. 3. Explain how plastic breaks down in the ocean over a long period of time. 4. Which currents are most associated with the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? 5. Explain why America is more responsible for the trash in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch than Europe.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • An Assessment Report on Microplastics
    An Assessment Report on Microplastics This document was prepared by B Stevens, North Carolina Coastal Federation Table of Contents What are Microplastics? 2 Where Do Microplastics Come From? 3 Primary Sources 3 Secondary Sources 5 What are the Consequences of Microplastics? 7 Marine Ecosystem Health 7 Water Quality 8 Human Health 8 What Policies/Practices are in Place to Regulate Microplastics? 10 Regional Level 10 Outer Banks, North Carolina 10 Other United States Regions 12 State Level 13 Country Level 14 United States 14 Other Countries 15 International Level 16 Conventions 16 Suggested World Ban 17 International Campaigns 18 What Solutions Already Exist? 22 Washing Machine Additives 22 Faucet Filters 23 Advanced Wastewater Treatment 24 Plastic Alternatives 26 What Should Be Done? 27 Policy Recommendations for North Carolina 27 Campaign Strategy for the North Carolina Coastal Federation 27 References 29 1 What are Microplastics? The category of ‘plastics’ is an umbrella term used to describe synthetic polymers made from either fossil fuels (petroleum) or biomass (cellulose) that come in a variety of compositions and with varying characteristics. These polymers are then mixed with different chemical compounds known as additives to achieve desired properties for the plastic’s intended use (OceanCare, 2015). Plastics as litter in the oceans was first reported in the early 1970s and thus has been accumulating for at least four decades, although when first reported the subject drew little attention and scientific studies focused on entanglements, ‘ghost fishing’, and ingestion (Andrady, 2011). Today, about 60-90% of all marine litter is plastic-based (McCarthy, 2017), with the total amount of plastic waste in the oceans expected to increase as plastic consumption also increases and there remains a lack of adequate reduce, reuse, recycle, and waste management tactics across the globe (GreenFacts, 2013).
    [Show full text]
  • Ocean Currents and the Pacific Garbage Patch
    ocean currents and the Pacific Garbage Patch photo: Scripps Institution of Oceanography The image above shows a net tow sample from the Pacific Garbage Patch. The sample contains small fish and many small pieces of plastic. The Garbage Patch is primarily composed of this small plastic “confetti” suspended throughout the surface water of the North Pacific Gyre, and is not a island of trash as suggested by some media outlets. The region where the trash converges in the center of the North Pacific Gyre, in a region where surface currents are weak and convergent, thus concentrating large amounts of trash in an area estimated to be close to the size of Texas. With this slide I often show a video clip about the Garbage Patch. Although the links may change, here is one from ABC that I’ve used several times: www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFMW8srq0Qk this video is a bit over the top but it gets the point across. There is additional information from Scripps Institution of Oceanography SEAPLEX experiment: http://sio.ucsd.edu/Expeditions/Seaplex/ and several videos on youtube.com by searching the phrase “SEAPLEX” Pacific garbage patch tiny plastic bits • the worlds largest dump? • filled with tiny plastic “confetti” large plastic debris from the garbage patch photo: Scripps Institution of Oceanography little jellyfish photo: Scripps Institution of Oceanography These are some of the things you find in the Garbage Patch. The large pieces of plastic, such as bottles, breakdown into tiny particles. Sometimes animals get caught in large pieces of floating trash: photo: NOAA photo: NOAA photo: Scripps Institution of Oceanography How do plants and animals interact with small small pieces of plastic? fish larvae growing on plastic Trash in the ocean can cause various problems for the organisms that live there.
    [Show full text]
  • Litter in Our Waterways – Factsheet
    Litter in our Waterways – Factsheet Marine litter poses a vast and growing threat to the marine and coastal environment. Around 8 million items of litter enter the marine environment every day. 1 An estimated 70 per cent of marine litter ends up on the sea bed, 15 per cent on beaches and the remaining floats to the surface. 1 An estimated 80% of marine debris is from land based sources 20% sea based. These sources fall into four major groups: 1 . Tourism related - food/beverage packaging etc . Waste/stormwater - ex stormwater drains, sewer overflows etc . Fishing related - lines, nets etc . Ship/boat related - waste/garbage deliberately or accidentally dumped overboard It is estimated three times as much rubbish is dumped into the world’s oceans annually as the weight of fish caught. 5 Around 7 billion tonnes of plastic litter enter the ocean every year. 2 It is estimated that over 13, 000 pieces of plastic litter float on every square kilometre of ocean and this figure continues to grow. 8 Plastics make up about 60% of marine debris, with an estimated 100,000 marine mammals and turtles killed by plastic litter every year around the world. 5 Entanglement and ingestion are the primary types of direct damage to wildlife caused by marine litter; it can smother sea beds and it is a source of toxic substances in the marine environment. 1 Available information indicates at least 77 species of marine wildlife found in Australian waters and at least 267 marine species worldwide, are affected by entanglement in or ingestion of marine debris, including 86% of all sea turtles species, 44% of all seabird species and 43% of all marine mammal species.
    [Show full text]
  • Great Pacific Garbage Patch Progression
    Great Pacific Garbage Patch Progression: 1. What is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? 2. How? Throwback to beginning of plastics. 3. Fracking and Oil to get materials for plastic 4. Consequences of fracking for oil and minerals (show the oil spill that happened Friday) 5. Explain the short lifecycle of plastic, disposable 6. Microbeads 7. Where is AWAY? Landfills, oceans, etc. 8. Doesn’t degrade just smaller pieces, ocean slurry zone. 9. Blocks food for phytoplankton, becomes food for larger fish and whales. 10. Consequences of consumption of plastic chemicals/cancer, birth defects. a. Accumulate in fatty tissue, concentrated in humans, b. PCB and DDT attach onto the plastic when they’re in the ocean together. c. PCB is a lubricant used in electricity conductors and will take thousands of years to break down. Language only lasts for 1 thousand. d. DDT was an agrochemical used 40’s-60’s and then banned, but previous uses ran off of soil into water where it still is. Bugs became resistant too. 11. How to help and get back on track/reduse, reuse, recycle. 12. Designs in progress for this problem 13. Our responsibilities as a designer for the future, design for 10 future generations. Images: http://i2.wp.com/savethewater.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/1.jpg http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/files/2016/04/thootpaste.jpg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/Microplastics_impact_on_biological_com munities.png https://plastictides.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/10035153466_dfdd13d962_z.jpg http://s.newsweek.com/sites/www.newsweek.com/files/styles/embed-lg/public/2014/04/22/2014/
    [Show full text]
  • Reading Handout: the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
    Reading Handout: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch The world’s oceans are connected by a complex network of water and wind currents, which combine to form gyres. The movement of wind and water in a gyre form large, slowly rotating whirlpools. The North Pacific Gyre is an area of the ocean between the continents of Asia and North America, and its whirlpool-like effect has pulled in pollution from around the world, forming the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a massive accumulation of trash, large and small, in the North Pacific Gyre. {It is like a giant landfill floating in the ocean.} It is a combination of the Western Pacific Garbage Patch, located east of Japan and west of Hawaii, and the Eastern Pacific Garbage Patch, which floats between Hawaii and California. The two are connected by a thin 6,000-mile long current called the Subtropical Convergence Zone, which is also home to a large amount of pollution. The Patch is huge! However it cannot be seen from space, or even an airplane, because it is mostly made up of microplastics floating in the water column. Microplastics are pieces of plastic trash that are smaller than 5mm. Microplastics form when larger plastics break down, or come directly from a manufacturer in the form of nurdles (small plastic pellets used to make other plastic products). Nurdles absorb a lot of toxins as they float in the ocean, and those toxins become concentrated. Researchers estimate that for every 6 pounds (2.72 kilograms) of plastic, there is 1 pound (0.45 kilograms) of plankton.
    [Show full text]
  • Storm Water Utility
    Storm Water Utility: Prioritizing Water Quality 5 Impaired Rivers/Creeks Rivers/Creeks Impaired 5 Economies Benefit From Clean Water Clean From Benefit Economies “Dump no waste, this inlet drains to a waterway” is a local message for a growing global water quality problem: Missoula’s Clark Fork Coalition collected 30 tons of trash in the last 15 annual pickups. Missoula Valley Water Quality District collected 25 tons of trash in 2017 alone. City of Missoula’s Parks and Recreation collect a truck load of trash from riverside transient camps every 1 or 2 weeks starting in March and ending in October. Missoula Valley Water Quality District runs the Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination (IDDE) Program and shows our continuing problem with petroleum and other illicit discharges threatening local waterways. ♢ But once trash and pollution get into a waterway it becomes part of an increasingly severe global problem, 5,000+ hurting wildlife and communities downstream. NASA made a simulation showing how trash from our waterways form the Ocean’s Garbage Patches: Source: NASA Scientific Visualization Studio 2015 Video SIGGRAPH Version https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4174 Inlets Draining to Garbage Patch Garbage Patch Garbage Patch Garbage Patch Garbage Patch The Economic Burden Flows Downstream: Waterways According to the EPA and State Revenue Reports: An estimated 80% of ocean debris is sourced from land-based trash. Pollution and trash impacts the Nation’s river and coastal communities. Aquatic trash reduces the aesthetic and recreational values of rivers, beaches and marine resources. Polluted waterways reduce nearby property values and decrease attraction for potential companies.
    [Show full text]
  • Lesson #2 by Dr Grant Jones Ocean Crusaders New Zealand
    Lesson #2 By Dr Grant Jones Ocean Crusaders New Zealand Today we are going to talk about a thing called a ‘Gyre’. It’s a strange word and most people have no idea they exist. However the Gyres are a major environmental issue. So what is a Gyre? Well it’s kind of like a whirlpool What is a Gyre? • Just like a whirlpool you create in your swimming pool, we have whirlpools in the ocean. We call them Gyres. • Due to the ocean currents spinning, all waste produced by humans that has escaped to the ocean has collected in the middle of these Gyres and cannot escape. • The main one is the North Pacific Gyre and is also known as the ‘Great Pacific Garbage Patch’ and the ‘Trash Vortex’. • BUT HOW MANY ARE THERE? There are Title? North America North • A Atlantic •B Asia North Pacific Gyre Gyre South America South Australia South Pacific Atlantic Gyre Indian Ocean Gyre Gyre Title? •A •B This image shows the amount of rubbish in the ocean. The red indicates areas that are anywhere between 3m (10ft) to 10m (33ft) deep with rubbish. It is believed that in the North Pacific Gyre, there is enough rubbish to cover Australia in 3m (10ft) of garbage! Imagine that! When was it first discovered? • Captain Charles Moore, Founder of the Algalita Marine Research Foundation discovered the North Pacific Gyre in 1997 whilst returning to California from Hawaii aboard his catamaran. • Sailors traditionally avoid this area due to its light winds, hence the vortex had been previously avoided.
    [Show full text]
  • Great Pacific Garbage Patch
    Great Pacific Garbage Patch National Geographic Resource Library | Encyclopedic Entry The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a collection of marine debris in the North Pacific Ocean. Marine debris is litter that ends up in the ocean, seas, and other large bodies of water. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a collection of marine debris in the North Pacific Ocean. Also known as the Pacific trash vortex, the garbage patch is actually two distinct collections of debris bounded by the massive North Pacific Subtropical Gyre. Map by NOAA Great Pacific Garbage Patch The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a huge area of marine debris. Marine debris is garbage in the ocean. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is the world's biggest area of marine debris. It is in the North Pacific Ocean. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch stretches from the West Coast of North America to Japan. It is made up of two parts. One is the Western Garbage Patch, near Japan. The other is the Eastern Garbage Patch, between Hawaii and California. Strong ocean currents carry marine debris into the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Once there, the trash builds up over time. Plastics are the biggest problem. They do not wear down completely. They only break into smaller and smaller pieces. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is mostly tiny bits of plastic. These small pieces are called microplastics. They cannot always be seen. Often, they just make the water look like a cloudy soup. Larger things, like fishing nets or shoes, are mixed into this soup. It doesn't get any better beneath the surface of the water.
    [Show full text]
  • Governing a Continent of Trash: the Global Politics of Oceanic Pollution
    University of Connecticut OpenCommons@UConn Honors Scholar Theses Honors Scholar Program Spring 5-1-2020 Governing a Continent of Trash: The Global Politics of Oceanic Pollution Anne Longo [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://opencommons.uconn.edu/srhonors_theses Part of the Environmental Studies Commons, and the Political Science Commons Recommended Citation Longo, Anne, "Governing a Continent of Trash: The Global Politics of Oceanic Pollution" (2020). Honors Scholar Theses. 704. https://opencommons.uconn.edu/srhonors_theses/704 Anne Cathrine Longo Honors Thesis in Political Science Dr. Mark A. Boyer Dr. Matthew M. Singer May 1, 2020 Governing a Continent of Trash: The Global Politics of Oceanic Pollution Convenience is King and Plastic is the King of Convenience: So, Who is the King of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? Abstract There is a new continent growing in the North Pacific Ocean known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The Patch is composed of a vast array of marine pollution, discarded single-use items, and mostly microplastics. This thesis explores how and why governments and other entities do or do not deal with the growing problem of ocean pollution. Sovereignty roadblocks and balance of power prove to be obstacles for such efforts. This thesis then attempts to create the ideal model of governance for ocean plastics using the policy-making process. The policy analysis reviews bilateral, multilateral, and non-governmental solutions for the removal of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and subsequent maintenance efforts. Following the analysis of these three policies, this thesis concludes that a combination of factors from each solution is likely the best course of action.
    [Show full text]
  • LITTER in the DERWENT Litter on the Derwent Estuary Foreshore
    34 www.themercury.com.au WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2010 LITTER IN THE DERWENT Litter on the Derwent estuary foreshore ITTER found on the Derwent estuary foreshore comes in all shapes and Waterwatch Australia Lsizes – from plastic bottles, bags and http://www.waterwatch.org.au/ tiny cigarette butts to large items such as supermarket shopping trolleys and even What can we do about it? old cars! Litter is not only unsightly but is We can all do something to prevent litter also a health hazard to people and wildlife. harming wildlife and spoiling our favourite beaches and places to walk. It’s simple! 1. Make sure your rubbish goes into the bin. 2. Get Involved. Clean Up Australia Day is held in March every year and encourages thousands of Australians to collect rubbish in their local area. 3. To register your group and site go to www. cleanupaustraliaday.org.au/about/about- the-event/clean-up-australia-day You can also help reduce littering: • Report littering to the EPA Division (Look Who’s Littering – on the Road) - phone: 1300 13 55 13. ABOVE: Litter traps are used to prevent litter from entering the Derwent. • Stencil stormwater drains near your school – Stormwater stencilling kits available for loan - 6233 0477. Litter - it just doesn’t go away! What’s being done about it? • Conduct litter audits and share your Litter is no trivial matter. What we drop or Litter traps data with other schools - http://www. throw away on land can have far reaching To prevent litter entering the Derwent, sustainableschools.tas.edu.au/ impacts.
    [Show full text]
  • UC San Diego UC San Diego Electronic Theses and Dissertations
    UC San Diego UC San Diego Electronic Theses and Dissertations Title Gyre Plastic : Science, Circulation and the Matter of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/21w9h64q Author De Wolff, Kim Publication Date 2014 Peer reviewed|Thesis/dissertation eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO Gyre Plastic: Science, Circulation and the Matter of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Communication by Kim De Wolff Committee in charge: Professor Chandra Mukerji, Chair Professor Joseph Dumit Professor Kelly Gates Professor David Serlin Professor Charles Thorpe 2014 Copyright Kim De Wolff, 2014 All rights reserved. The Dissertation of Kim De Wolff is approved, and it is acceptable in quality and form for publication on microfilm and electronically: Chair University of California, San Diego 2014 iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Signature Page ........................................................................................................... iii Table of Contents ....................................................................................................... iv List of Figures ............................................................................................................ vi Acknowledgements .................................................................................................... ix Vita ............................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Debris Accumulation Scenarios in Washington State from the March 2011 Tōhoku Tsunami
    Debris Accumulation Scenarios in Washington State from the March 2011 Tōhoku Tsunami Ian Miller Jim Brennan Washington Sea Grant i Debris Accumulation Scenarios in Washington State from the March 2011 Tōhoku Tsunami Ian Miller Coastal Hazards Specialist Washington Sea Grant 1502 E. Lauridsen Blvd. Port Angeles, WA 98362 [email protected] 360.417.6460 Jim Brennan Marine Habitat Specialist Washington Sea Grant University of Washington 3716 Brooklyn Ave. N.E. Seattle, WA 98105 [email protected] 206.543.6600 WSG-TR 12-02 wsg.washington.edu/ Cover photo of debris in the coastal waters off Japan, taken shortly after the 2011 Tohoku tsunami. Image Credit: U.S. Navy ii Abstract Background he Japanese government estimates that approximately 5 erceived as a problem in Washington state for decades, Tmillion tons of debris washed out to sea after the Tōhoku Ppotential impacts of marine debris include wildlife interac- tsunami that struck Japan on March 11, 2011. Of that mass, tions, habitat degradation, a reduction in the aesthetic quality about 1.5 million tons probably floated away from the near- of the shoreline and risks to human and environmental health coastal environment and could be transported to the beaches (Environmental Protection Agency, 2011). While a number of fringing the northeast Pacific Ocean, including the coast of individuals and organizations have worked to remove debris Washington state. The debris has been difficult to track and from Washington’s beaches for some time (Washington Coast represents a potential human and environmental hazard that Savers, 2012), the possibility of an increased flow of debris due results in concern about the type and volume of tsunami-gen- to the March 2011 Tōhoku tsunami has galvanized the public erated materials that may wash ashore over the next few years.
    [Show full text]