Influence of waves on the three-dimensional distribution of plastic in the ocean

Type Article
Date 2023-02
Language English
Author(s) Bajon RaphaelORCID1, Huck ThierryORCID2, Grima NicolasORCID2, Maes ChristopheORCID4, Blanke BrunoORCID2, Richon CamilleORCID3, Couvelard Xavier3
Affiliation(s) 1 : Laboratoire d'Océanographie Physique et Spatiale (UMR 6523 LOPS), Univ. Brest, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, IUEM, Technopole Brest-Iroise, Plouzané 29280, France
2 : Laboratoire d'Océanographie Physique et Spatiale (UMR 6523 LOPS), Univ. Brest, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, IUEM, Technopole Brest-Iroise, Plouzané 29280, France
3 : Laboratoire d'Océanographie Physique et Spatiale (UMR 6523 LOPS), Univ. Brest, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, IUEM, Technopole Brest-Iroise, Plouzané 29280, France
4 : Laboratoire d'Océanographie Physique et Spatiale (UMR 6523 LOPS), Univ. Brest, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, IUEM, Technopole Brest-Iroise, Plouzané 29280, France
Source Marine Pollution Bulletin (0025-326X) (Elsevier BV), 2023-02 , Vol. 187 , P. 114533 (11p.)
DOI 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114533
WOS© Times Cited 4
Keyword(s) Microplastics, Marine debris, Plastic discharge, Ocean-wave coupling, Stokes drift, Three-dimensional circulation
Abstract

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 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.

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