The Pacific gyre contains plastic in all shapes and sizes. While some is still recognizable as bottles, rope and other plastic articles a large proportion of it has been reduced by ultraviolet light and wave action to near micron sizes and dispersed in the water column. As consequence it offers no impedance to boats and certainly is not solid enough to land an aircraft on.
No. The items in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch are not bonded together.
1,000 years
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a large area in the Pacific Ocean where marine debris accumulates due to ocean currents. A map of the patch shows the extent of this pollution, helping researchers and policymakers understand the problem and work towards solutions.
87,000 tons, according to the NY Times: See article: "The 'Great Pacific Garbage Patch' Is Ballooning, 87,000 Tons of Plastic and Counting"
1997 the effect of water pollution on ecosystem
It is located in an area call the North Pacific Gyre, which is a patch of the North Pacific Ocean that covers thousands of square miles roughly between the United States and Japan and reaching toward Alaska and the Aleutian Islands. It's called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch because the prevailing ocean currents tend to swirl around this patch of ocean, causing all manner of floating debris to be concentrated in the gyre.
Indiscriminate dumping.
No. There has been a field of garbage floating in the Pacific for years as the result of accumulated litter.
Twice the size of Texas.
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch began forming in the mid-20th century, primarily as a result of increased plastic production and consumption. As plastic waste was released into the ocean, ocean currents concentrated this debris in certain areas, notably the North Pacific Gyre. The patch has continued to grow over the decades due to persistent plastic pollution and inadequate waste management practices.
Garbage patches, like the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, are primarily caused by currents in the ocean concentrating marine debris in one area. Plastic waste, such as bottles and fishing gear, make up a large portion of the garbage patch. Irresponsible disposal of plastic items, along with inadequate waste management systems, contribute to the growth of these patches.
Great pacific garbage patch.... It's where thousands of tons worth of waste has gathered in a big floating mess