When plastic enters our oceans, where does it end up? Well, there\u2019s a fair chance it could be found in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch: the largest accumulation of ocean plastic in the world.<\/p>\n
But despite the name, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch isn\u2019t a visible \u2018patch\u2019 at all. Instead of a tangible island of rubbish you can walk across, it\u2019s been described as more like a \u2018murky soup\u2019<\/a> that clouds the water.<\/p>\n Contrary to popular belief, it also cannot be seen from space.<\/p>\n How large is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?<\/p>\n According to the non-profit The Ocean Cleanup<\/a>, The Great Pacific Garbage Patch covers an estimated surface area of 1.6 million square kilometres \u2013 an area more than twice the size of the US state of Texas.<\/p>\n Where is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?<\/p>\n The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is actually made up of the Western Garbage Patch (near Japan) and the Eastern Garbage Patch (between Hawai\u02bbi and California).<\/p>\n These are linked by the North Pacific Subtropical Convergence Zone, where warm water from the South Pacific meets with cooler Arctic water. This zone acts like a highway, moving plastic debris from one patch to another.<\/p>\n However, due to ocean currents and winds, the exact location of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is constantly changing with seasonal and interannual variations.<\/p>\n Why has so much rubbish accumulated there?<\/p>\n Garbage patches exist elsewhere in the world and are formed by rotating ocean currents called gyres. The gyres act in a similar way to whirlpools<\/a>, pulling in plastic debris to their centre.<\/p>\n When did it first form?<\/p>\n While we don\u2019t know exactly when the Great Pacific Garbage Patch was formed, it was discovered in 1997 by Captain Charles Moore, who was sailing from Hawai\u02bbi to California.<\/p>\n How much plastic does it contain?<\/p>\n