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Influence of waves on the three-dimensional distribution of plastic in the ocean.
Summary
This modeling study simulated the three-dimensional transport of plastic particles in the ocean over 24 years using a wave-coupled circulation model, finding that ocean surface waves significantly influence how deeply plastics are mixed and distributed. Accounting for waves is important for accurately predicting where plastic pollution concentrates and how much reaches the deep ocean.
The world's oceans are facing plastic pollution, 80 % of which of terrestrial origin flowing from the mismanaged waste of coastal populations and from river discharge. To study the fate of this pollution, the three-dimensional trajectories of neutral plastic particles continuously released for 24 years according to realistic source scenarios are computed using currents from a global ocean-wave coupled model at 14 resolution and from a reference ocean-only model. These Lagrangian simulations show that neutral particles accumulate at the surface in the subtropical convergence zones from where they penetrate to about 250 m depth and strongly disperse over 40 of latitude. About 5.3 % of the particles remain at the surface with the wave-coupled model currents, whereas only 2 % for the uncoupled model, with some modulation in the location of the convergence zones. Increased surface retention results from upward vertical velocities induced by widespread divergence of waves-induced Stokes transport in the surface layers.