All rivers lead to the sea. And along the way, they collect a lot of garbage. That garbage gets washed out to the middle of the ocean where it joins debris from fishing vessels. The marine debris accumulates in patches of polluted water that have grown to truly astounding sizes. And although they exist far from human sight, these floating garbage patches have far-reaching impacts.
Great Garbage Gyres
Created mostly by surface winds, ocean currents are also influenced by temperature and salinity gradients, Earth’s rotation, and tides. The currents transport warm water and precipitation from the equator toward the poles and move cold water from the poles back to the tropics in circular patterns called gyres. In this way, ocean currents regulate global climate, counteracting the uneven distribution of solar radiation reaching Earth’s surface.
Besides heat, they also transport any…