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Where are the five subtropical gyres that collect floating plastic waste located?
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plastic pollution
A volunteer collecting plastic nurdles (pellets less than 0.2 inch [0.5 centimeter] in diameter) at Barreiras Beach, Corrubedo, Spain.
Floating plastic waste accumulates in five subtropical gyres located at Earth’s midlatitudes, which collectively cover 40 percent of the world’s oceans. These circular systems of ocean currents trap debris in zones often referred to as "garbage patches".12
The five subtropical gyres are:
- North Pacific Subtropical Gyre: Home to the well-known Great Pacific Garbage Patch, located between Hawaii and California.21
- South Pacific Subtropical Gyre: A major accumulation zone in the Southern Hemisphere.1
- North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre: One of the primary collection points for plastic debris in the Atlantic Ocean.1
- South Atlantic Subtropical Gyre: A significant circulation feature that traps floating waste in the South Atlantic.1
- Indian Ocean Subtropical Gyre: The collection zone for plastic pollution within the Indian Ocean.1
These gyres are driven by wind patterns and are associated with subtropical high-pressure systems, creating the anticyclonic circulation that draws in and retains solid matter like plastics.234