Plastic Pollution Worksheet
1. Using the map provided above and the definition of gyre, how many gyres does the Earth have? Use the ocean they are located in to list them.
The Earth has 5 major gyres in the world, they are located in the Indian Ocean, the North Pacific Ocean, the South Pacific Ocean, and two in the Atlantic Ocean.
2. If one degree of latitude is equivalent to 69.047 statute miles, how many miles across is the Central North Pacific Gyre? Using the map, estimate the surface area of the gyre.
180 and 160 degree.
3. If the surface of the California Current flows at approximately 1 km per hour, how far will a piece of marine debris move in 1 week?
1,000 debris.
4. The North Pacific Current is warmer and faster than the California Current. It travels at speeds in the hundreds of kilometers per hour. SEAPLEX observers collected bottles written in Korean and Chinese(in addition to English). If the bottles floated across the Pacific Ocean from Asian shores, what is the least amount of time the bottles were in the water?
It could be approximately 10 hours.
5. If the Pacific Ocean is approximately 17,000 km from east to west, how many days would it take the research vessel, New Horizon, traveling at a maximum speed of 10 knots to cross it? (1 knot=1.852 kilometers per hour.) Ignore water currents influences on speed.
it will take approximately 917 km per hour.
6. If the eastern edge of the Pacific Gyre is located approximately 1000 miles off the coast of California, how long would it take the New Horizon to reach it?
it could take about 645 hours to reach California.
7. On average the New Horizon ship uses 1000 gallons of fuel per day. Do you believe that the amount of fuel it takes to reach the Patch is worth using in order to study the Garbage Patch?
Yes, it is worth to study the Garbage Patch, but at the same time it is also a big waste of fuel.
8. Some activists note that plastic collected from the gyre can be recycled and converted in diesel fuel. In the October 2009 issue of Rolling Stone, Captain Charles Moore argues that there is no way the Garbage Patch can be cleaned up because the collection of the small pieces of plastic is impractical. Research these two opinions and list three supporting arguments and counter arguments for each one.
Pros: - most of the foods and drinks come in packaged plastic.
- It is more convenient, you don't need to do much when it comes in packaged.
- Plastic lasts a long time for use.
Cons: - It causes pollution.
- It causes sea animals to die when they eat it or get stuck in it.
- It is a hard substance to get rid of.
The Earth has 5 major gyres in the world, they are located in the Indian Ocean, the North Pacific Ocean, the South Pacific Ocean, and two in the Atlantic Ocean.
2. If one degree of latitude is equivalent to 69.047 statute miles, how many miles across is the Central North Pacific Gyre? Using the map, estimate the surface area of the gyre.
180 and 160 degree.
3. If the surface of the California Current flows at approximately 1 km per hour, how far will a piece of marine debris move in 1 week?
1,000 debris.
4. The North Pacific Current is warmer and faster than the California Current. It travels at speeds in the hundreds of kilometers per hour. SEAPLEX observers collected bottles written in Korean and Chinese(in addition to English). If the bottles floated across the Pacific Ocean from Asian shores, what is the least amount of time the bottles were in the water?
It could be approximately 10 hours.
5. If the Pacific Ocean is approximately 17,000 km from east to west, how many days would it take the research vessel, New Horizon, traveling at a maximum speed of 10 knots to cross it? (1 knot=1.852 kilometers per hour.) Ignore water currents influences on speed.
it will take approximately 917 km per hour.
6. If the eastern edge of the Pacific Gyre is located approximately 1000 miles off the coast of California, how long would it take the New Horizon to reach it?
it could take about 645 hours to reach California.
7. On average the New Horizon ship uses 1000 gallons of fuel per day. Do you believe that the amount of fuel it takes to reach the Patch is worth using in order to study the Garbage Patch?
Yes, it is worth to study the Garbage Patch, but at the same time it is also a big waste of fuel.
8. Some activists note that plastic collected from the gyre can be recycled and converted in diesel fuel. In the October 2009 issue of Rolling Stone, Captain Charles Moore argues that there is no way the Garbage Patch can be cleaned up because the collection of the small pieces of plastic is impractical. Research these two opinions and list three supporting arguments and counter arguments for each one.
Pros: - most of the foods and drinks come in packaged plastic.
- It is more convenient, you don't need to do much when it comes in packaged.
- Plastic lasts a long time for use.
Cons: - It causes pollution.
- It causes sea animals to die when they eat it or get stuck in it.
- It is a hard substance to get rid of.
9.Debris that avoids being pulled into the gyre and continues to circulate around the Pacific Ocean ends up on to the shores of beaches. Investigate how much plastic is found on the various shores and how much is estimated to be in the ocean. Which of the two collections of plastic (in the gyre verses on the shore) do you feel should have a greater priority in terms of public policy and why?
Seabirds, whales, sea turtles and other marine life are eating marine plastic pollution and dying from choking, intestinal blockage and starvation.The most effective way to stop plastic pollution in our oceans is to make sure it never reaches the water in the first place.We all need to do our fair share to stop plastic pollution: individuals need to recycle and never litter, but producers of single use plastic packaging need to do more too.We also need producers to help cover the costs of keeping their products out of the ocean.
Seabirds, whales, sea turtles and other marine life are eating marine plastic pollution and dying from choking, intestinal blockage and starvation.The most effective way to stop plastic pollution in our oceans is to make sure it never reaches the water in the first place.We all need to do our fair share to stop plastic pollution: individuals need to recycle and never litter, but producers of single use plastic packaging need to do more too.We also need producers to help cover the costs of keeping their products out of the ocean.