[californiadisasters] Update On the Debris From the Japan Tsunami

Update On the Debris From the Japan Tsunami

By Mark Jackson

The devastating 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami that struck Japan on March 11, 2011, costing over 16,000 lives and injuring over 6,000 people, continues to leave its mark even today. Debris that was washed away into the Pacific Ocean has been gradually drifting away from Japan and is showing up on the western shores and in the coastal waters of North America – including here in California. The Japanese government estimates that the tsunami swept about 5 million tons of debris into the ocean. Of that, approximately 70 percent sank off shore, leaving 1.5 million tons floating. The debris is also no longer in mass as one large debris patch; rather, it is scattered about the North Pacific. Items that are con-firmed to be from the Japan tsunami have been as small as a soccer ball, or as large as a floating pier, or even a vessel. You might wonder if the debris is radioactive. Experts believe it is "highly unlikely" that any of the debris is radioactive.
NOAA's Marine Debris Program plays a crucial role in tracking, identifying, and reporting marine debris that is a result of the Japan tsunami. NOAA is working with state and local partners, along with other federal agencies to ultimately reduce the impacts to our natural resources and coastal communities. Using at-sea observation data from aircraft, satellite, and vessels, NOAA continues to collect and model the debris movement.
You can actually help NOAA in its effort. Even though in some cases it's extremely difficult to identify the marine debris as coming from the tsunami since debris washes up on the Pacific Coast all the time, in other cases it can be quite obvious. In cases where there is clear identification – such as an item with Japanese writing – it's very important that it be reported to NOAA. If any debris is sighted or found, and most importantly tsunami debris, you can send an email to DisasterDebris@noaa.gov, with as much infor-mation as possible (such as location, date and time found, any relevant descriptions) provided in the email. Or, you can download and use a Marine Debris Tracker app devel-oped by NOAA in cooperation with the Southeast Atlantic Marine Debris Initiative. You can either go to http://www.marinedebris.engr.uga.edu/, or find the app in the iTunes App store or Google Play.
For comprehensive information on the Japan tsunami debris, and other helpful information on marine debris, just visit http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/tsunamidebris/.

Source: http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/lox/scripts/headline_download.php?get=20121006_1710.pdf

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