北太平洋垃圾带形成的动力学原因 垃圾总量的变化趋势 密度分布函数

Formation and Variation of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Xiaoben Liu, Liuwu Shi, Yue Zhao Abstract

We build four models to do a deep analysis on the formation, variation and distribution of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The first two models are created to research the mechanism of how the garbage island comes into existence from a microscopic scale. The velocity of trash alleviates as time goes on. Trash does its motion in two probable ways, one is due to resistances given by sea water, another is due to damp vibration. Using classic physical theories, we capture main motives propelling trash into the North Pacific Gyre. The third model is a compartment model aiming to find the possible increasing amount of trash in the garbage patch. A function of total garbage amount is extrapolated from the model. We use this model to predict that the number of plastic debris will be more than three times larger in the next 10 years successfully. In our fourth model, we work out a density function. Using the function, we depict the temporal and spatial distribution of garbage in the ocean. We also make a simulation reflecting its distributing rules more obviously. At last, we release some suggestions to prohibit deterioration in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

Introduction

Where is the largest landfill in the world? It’s in the Pacific Ocean, about one thousand kilometers near the shore of America, called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It’s a specific area between California State and Hawaii, but until now there’s no accurate estimation about its coverage. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is notorious for its high concentration of littered trash, plastic debris. According to a recent investigation, 80 percent of the trash is from main continents, 10 percent consists of used nets or other fishing tools and the other 10 percent of trash is from passing-by ships. Most of the garbage islands are in oceanic gyres.

Undoubtedly the accumulation of garbage has already made huge negative influence on the environment. Large amount of oceanic animals die of eating up plastic trash by mistake. It’s a critical moment to release some feasible and practical methods to prevent deterioration.