Researchers: Hawaii (& coastline from Vancouver to CA) may get hit with trash from Japan's tsunami

[Turborama]

Source: CNN

The Hawaiian islands may get a new and unwelcome addition in coming months -- a giant new island of debris floating in from Japan.

Researchers in Hawaii have created a simulation showing exactly how the houses, tires, chemicals and trees washed to sea by the March 11 tsunami will float across the Pacific and eventually hit the U.S. coast.

The team, led by Nikolai Maximenko and Jan Hafner at the International Pacific Research Center of the University of Hawaii at Manoa have spent years preparing computer models by following real world observations of floating buoys, according to a statement.

The first wave should begin washing up on beaches in Hawaii within a year, the simulation shows. After it passes Hawaii it should begin hitting beaches stretching from Vancouver down through Oregon, Washington and to the tip of Baja California in 2014, before bouncing back toward Hawaii for a second impact.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/04/07/japan.debris.map/index.html?eref=mrss_igoogle_cnn

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More details and simulation at the link.

[hedgehog]

1. I don't know if CNN or the researchers used the word "trash",

but given that said "trash" consists of the remains of missing thousands and everything thousand others owned, "trash" is a poor choice of words.

How careless of the Japanese to allow their "trash" to reach our pristine beaches!

[Turborama]

11. CNN did use the word "trash", hence the use of it in the subject line.

As per LBN's rules.

They also referred to it as "flotsam and trash" towards the end of the article.

[hedgehog]

13. I figured it was CNN, and tried to phrase my comment so it

aimed at them and not you as OP. I'm glad you posted this.

[warrior1]

2. I don't

think they meant anything bad by calling the ruins coming from Japan as "trash."

[Art_from_Ark]

15. "Trash" implies materials that were already waste

The better word in this case is "debris"

[marions ghost]

3. anything created by man

is "trash" in the oceans.

[NashVegas]

4. When I First Heard This I Thought of the Great Pacific Gyre

and thought maybe it had been displaced?

[Turborama]

12. They do say it will all end up in the "North Pacific Garbage Patch" in the end n/t

[JJW]

5. Maybe we can send them

Maybe, we send them our foreclosed homes. After BP's junk shot, the oceans seem to be our junk yards. Drill Baby, Drill.

[tahrir]

6. How much will be radioactive?

and when will it stop?

:'(

[Taverner]

7. Any way to recycle this trash?

Hear me out - we could get huge trawlers to go out into the ocean, and collect this debris

Then take it somewhere where the lumber can be separated from the plastics

Just trying to make a little lemonade here....

[ElsewheresDaughter]

8. I wonder how much of it is radioactive?

[tahrir]

14. i wonder if they will test it?

:shrug:

[ElsewheresDaughter]

9. opps never mind...nt

[AlbertCat]

10. Nonsense!

Japan is waaaaaaaay over there! It's not even on the same planet, Is it?

[ElsewheresDaughter]

16. Plutonium is forever