The Deluge of Debris from the Japan Tsunami
Somewhere in the Pacific Ocean a confetti-like mass of trash and debris slowly lurches eastward. Nestled in its grip are the relics of lives quite literally washed away. Fishing boats, shoes, chunks of homes, they’re all there. Spawned from the 2011 tsunami that ravaged Japan, this floating field of trash could hold as many as 20 million tons of debris. And according to experts, in less than 12 months, this aquatic wasteland will begin littering the shores of the Hawaiian Islands.
After consuming more than 217 miles of Japanese coastline, the March 2011 tsunami seized nearly everything that wasn’t bolted down; what didn’t float quickly sank, and what did was dragged out to sea, where it was pulled east by the prevailing currents.
In September, a Russian sailing boat, Pallada, en route from Honolulu to Vladivostok, Russia, reported spotting a substantial amount of debris bearing Japanese markings near Midway Atoll. In addition to a small fishing boat from the Fukushima prefecture, the crew found a TV set, miscellaneous home appliances, a refrigerator, various pieces of wood, and plastic jugs, as well as a slew of other items.
Professor Nikolai Maximenko of the International Pacific Research Center has been a pivotal figure in tracking the movement of the debris. Not only has he been able to follow the floating mass of garbage, but he’s also developed a model that will project its estimated course. The model, which is based off a 30-year study of the prevailing currents in the area, suggests that the Hawaiian Islands could see an impact as early as the winter of 2013.
No telling how much damage this floating debris island has already done to the ocean. Now, it is headed straight for the Hawaiian Islands and this is going to require a major cleanup effort. Not good.