The effect of wind mixing on the vertical distribution of buoyant plastic debris
Open accessAbstract
Micro‐plastic marine debris is widely distributed in vast regions of the subtropical gyres and has emerged as a major open ocean pollutant. The fate and transport of plastic marine debris is governed by poorly understood geophysical processes, such as ocean mixing within the surface boundary layer. Based on profile observations and a one‐dimensional column model, we demonstrate that plastic debris is vertically distributed within the upper water column due to wind‐driven mixing. These results suggest that total oceanic plastics concentrations are significantly underestimated by traditional surface measurements, requiring a reinterpretation of existing plastic marine debris data sets. A geophysical approach must be taken in order to properly quantify and manage this form of marine pollution.
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The low relative density of plastics makes them very sensitive to drag by currents, and drift by waves and turbulence.
“In addition, the low relative density of plastics makes them very sensitive to drag by currents, and drift by waves 78 and turbulence.”
From Weathering plastics as a planetary boundary threat: exposure, fate, and hazards (2021) · cites this paper as [79]
Turbulent drift can be more important than buoyancy.
“Turbulent drift can be more important than buoyancy.”
From Weathering plastics as a planetary boundary threat: exposure, fate, and hazards (2021) · cites this paper as [79]
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- Authors
- Kukulka, T., Proskurowski, G., Morét‐Ferguson, S., Meyer, D. W., & Law, K. L.
- Affiliations
- University of Delaware (US)
- University of Washington (US)
- Sea Education Association (US)
- Corresponding author
- Kukulka, T.
- Venue
- Geophysical Research Letters
- Publisher
- American Geophysical Union (AGU)
- Published
- 2012-04
- Volume
- 39
- Issue
- 7
- ISSN
- 0094-8276 (ISSN-L)
- 1944-8007
- OpenAlex
- W1564334229
- Cited by
- 713
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 27 · 2025: 68 · 2024: 56 · 2023: 85 · 2022: 102 · 2021: 90 · 2020: 77 · 2019: 39 · 2018: 47 · 2017: 35 · 2016: 31 · 2015: 23 · 2014: 13 · 2013: 18 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 14.78
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Geophysical Research Letters (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- University of Delaware
- National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Pollution › Microplastics and Plastic Pollution
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Pollution › Oil Spill Detection and Mitigation
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Oceanography › Oceanographic and Atmospheric Processes
- Keywords
- wind-driven mixing, vertical distribution, surface boundary layer, ocean mixing, subtropical gyre, plastic pollution, column model
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