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Data for Buoyancy-dependent sorting of microplastics in a numerical wave-flume with a sloping beach
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Scientists used a computer model of ocean waves hitting a sloping beach to track how tiny plastic particles move based on whether they float, sink, or hover in the water. They found that a microplastic's buoyancy (its tendency to float or sink) strongly affects where it ends up—whether washed ashore or pulled back out to sea. This matters because it helps researchers predict where microplastic pollution accumulates, which is a key step in understanding our exposure to these particles through seafood, drinking water, and beach environments.
This is the dataset for the manuscript Buoyancy-dependent sorting of microplastics in a numerical wave-flume with a sloping beach by Jongedijk, Van Sebille and Van Reeuwijk. It provides trajectories of virtual particles computed with parcels in a SWASH wave flume flow field
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Data for Buoyancy-dependent sorting of microplastics in a numerical wave-flume with a sloping beach
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Scientists used a computer model of ocean waves hitting a sloping beach to track how tiny plastic particles move based on how buoyant (floaty) they are. This matters because it helps explain why some microplastics wash up and get trapped on beaches while others get pulled back out to sea — knowledge that's important for figuring out where plastic pollution accumulates and how it might end up in the food chain, including seafood we eat. Note: this particular dataset is the underlying trajectory data from the simulations, not a full write-up of the findings themselves.
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