We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Effects of microplastics and surfactants on surface roughness of water waves
AI summary Read the abstract
This study investigated how microplastics and surfactants affect the surface roughness of ocean waves, with implications for remote sensing detection of marine plastic pollution. The findings show that plastic films reduce wave surface texture in ways that can be detected from satellites, offering a potential large-scale monitoring tool.
We study the flow physics underlying the recently developed remote sensing capability of detecting oceanic microplastics, which is based on the measurable surface roughness reduction induced by the presence of microplastics on the ocean surface. In particular, we are interested in whether this roughness reduction is caused by the microplastics as floating particles, or by surfactants which follow similar transport paths as microplastics. For this purpose, we experimentally test the effects of floating particles and surfactants on surface roughness, quantified by the mean square slope (MSS), with waves generated by a mechanical wave maker or by wind. For microplastics, we find that their effect on MSS critically depends on the surface area fraction of coverage. The damping by particles is observed only for fractions above O (5-10%), much higher than the realistic ocean condition. For surfactants, their damping effects on both mechanically generated waves and wind waves are quantified, which are shown to be much more significant than that by microplastics. Several new mechanisms/relations for roughness damping by surfactants are also identified. The implications of these experimental results to remote sensing are discussed.
More Papers Like This
Effects of microplastics and surfactants on surface roughness of water waves
AI summary Read the abstract
This study examined how microplastics and surfactants on the ocean surface affect surface wave roughness, which underpins remote sensing methods for detecting oceanic plastic pollution from satellites. The findings help explain the physical basis for measurable surface roughness reductions in microplastic-covered areas.
Impact of microplastic pollution on breaking waves
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated how the presence of microplastics affects the dynamics and dissipation of breaking ocean waves, finding that microplastics alter wave characteristics at high concentrations. The study highlights a physical interaction between plastic pollution and ocean surface processes.
Toward the Detection and Imaging of Ocean Microplastics With a Spaceborne Radar
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers assessed the feasibility of detecting ocean microplastics using spaceborne synthetic aperture radar, finding that radar signatures of microplastic-concentrated surface films may be detectable under certain wind and sea-state conditions.
A Simplified Experimental Method to Estimate the Transport of Non-Buoyant Plastic Particles Due to Waves by 2D Image Processing
AI summary Read the abstract
Not a microplastics paper in the strict sense — this study develops and validates an image-processing method to track the movement of non-buoyant plastic debris particles under wave action in a laboratory wave tank, advancing the physical modeling tools used to predict where plastic pollution accumulates in coastal environments.
Exploring The Use Of SAR Remote Sensing To Detect Microplastics Pollution In The Oceans
AI summary Read the abstract
This study explored whether synthetic aperture radar (SAR) remote sensing can detect microplastic pollution in ocean surface waters, examining the feasibility of using satellite radar imagery to map plastic accumulation zones. The work addresses the need for scalable monitoring tools that could complement expensive and spatially limited in situ sampling methods.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.