Surface dispersion of coastal discharges in North America towards the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Abstract

This research addresses the surface dispersion of coastal discharges in North America that end up at the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The evolution of the discharged concentration is calculated through statistical simulations using transition matrices and dispersion ellipses, both based on historical records of surface drifter trajectories. The discharge points are adjacent to urban areas distributed along the coast. The preferential routes, times of arrival, and relative contributions of each site to the accumulation area are quantified. A new statistical delimitation of the position, area and orientation of the garbage patch is proposed. Additional experiments suggest that the tracer retention during the summer is influenced by the low-level atmospheric anticyclone in the Northeastern Pacific, which enhances the Ekman drift and hence favours debris convergence. This effect is reduced when the anticyclone weakens in winter, thus decreasing the debris retention and promoting its westward dispersal by the trade winds.

Keywords: Coastal discharges; Garbage island; Surface dispersion.