NAME: Kandalynn Naidl

Chapter 11 GeoLab
You are a NOAA scientist investigating the time and distance that different types of trash (plastic, wood, glass, etc.) will travel before
decomposing or breaking into small pieces that sink below the ocean surface.

1. Scientists estimate that the North Pacific Ocean gyre current flows at an average of 2 miles per hour. Compute the average number of
miles the gyre circulates in a day (speed x 24 hours)
The average number of miles the gyre circulates in 24 hours is 48 miles.
2. Compute the number of days that each type of trash travels before decomposing or disappearing below the surface.
3. Calculate how many miles each item will travel before decomposing. Multiply your answer to #1 by the decomposition rate in days for
each type of trash to get an estimate of the distance traveled before decomposing.
4. A round trip around the North Pacific gyre is about 12,500 miles. Calculate how many trips around the gyre each type of trash will
travel before decomposing. (Divide the distance traveled before decomposing by 12,500 miles)

Type of Debris Decomposition Rate Decomposition Rate Distance Traveled Trips Around the Gyre
in Days Before Decomposing
paper towel 3 weeks 21 1,008 .08
newspaper 6 weeks 42 2,016 .16
apple core 2 months 60 2,880 .23
cardboard box 2 months 60 2,880 .23
cotton shirt 3.5 months 105 5,040 .4
waxed carton 3 months 90 4,320 .35
plywood 2 years 730 35,040 2.8
wool sock 3 years 1,095 52,560 4.2
plastic grocery bag 15 years 5,475 262,800 21
foam cup 50 years 18,250 876,000 70.1
tin can 50 years 18,250 876,000 70.1
aluminum can 200 years 73,000 3,504,000 280
disposable diaper 450 years 164,250 7,884,000 630.7
plastic beverage bottle 450 years 164,250 7,884,000 630.7
fishing line 600 years 219,000 10,512,000 840.96
5. Determine the gyres and ocean currents within which a plastic bottle discarded off the coastline of eastern India would circulate.
If a plastic bottle was discarded off the coast of Eastern India it would end up in the Indian Ocean Gyre. Then it would travel 630.7 trips
around the Gyre, 450 years, until it finally decomposed.
6. Estimate the cardinal direction (north, south, east, or west), ocean currents, gyres, a large piece of wood from an oil platform off the
Florida Coast would travel until decomposing in ocean water.
A large piece of wood from an oil platform off the coast of Florida would travel north in to the gulf stream of the North Atlantic Ocean
Gyre. The piece of wood would travel 2 years, approximately 2.8 trips around the Gyre before finally decomposing in the ocean water.
7. Given what you learned about this issue, suggest two strategies that you could follow that could prevent the GNPGP from expanding.
I really enjoyed this lesson/activity. I learned a lot more about plastic pollution and how I can prevent plastic waste. Every piece of
plastic matters, Reduce, reuse, recycle, and PICK UP TRASH EVERYDAY! We can help prevent plastic waste by doing personal
beach/street/walk about clean ups, buying products that don’t use plastic, buying used/secondhand plastic items, bring/use reusable
containers & bags, ask businesses to stop using plastic products, and recycle! If we want less plastic production and less waste, we need
to educate others and set examples about using less plastic and reducing plastic waste. We all need to re-think our direct effects on the
environment. Think about where it all comes from and where it is all going! Think and act pono, be ethical, as humans we need to be
stewards of the environment.

Watch these videos:

What is an ocean gyre (2:20):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6i16CrI8ss

Plastic in the Pacific (10:00)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=46&v=g9fEbqxyNl0

TED Talk Great Pacific Garbage Patch (12:00)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JXWRVrFiKs