Back in 2021, scientists from the University of Michigan and the US Southwestern Research Institute discovered that the space telescope, which is part of the Cyclon Global Navigation Satellite System, is able, among other things, to distinguish areas in the oceans where there is an increased concentration of microplastics. This was a really surprising discovery, because from a height of 536 kilometers above the Earth’s surface, the satellite could quite accurately determine the waves containing microplastics on the surface of the water, but only two years later, experts were able to reliably determine why it is water containing small plastic particles that is able to form small waves in the ocean.
“We can see a relationship between surface roughness and the presence of microplastics and surfactants. The goal now is to understand the exact relationship between the three variables,” said Yulin Pan, associate professor of naval architecture and marine engineering at the University of Michigan.
At the moment, the researchers want to conduct a series of tests and develop a behavior model that will allow not only to determine the causes of small waves containing microplastics, but also a system that can track microplastic accumulations from space in real time. Moreover, if the system is developed, scientists will be able not only to monitor the flow of harmful substances in the world’s oceans, but also to predict the direction of movement of water contaminated with plastic. This is a significant step towards cleaning the ocean of extremely dangerous and harmful microplastics, which is now very difficult to fight.
Scientists remind that in fact microplastics are a huge problem for modern ecology. We are talking about small fragments of plastic waste no larger than 5 millimeters, which pollute the world’s oceans, and then the entire planet. We are talking about the ingress of plastic into the bodies of people and animals, the saturation of the soil and not only. Experts detect microplastic particles even in drinking water and food, and scientists from the UK suggest that there are now about a trillion microplastic particles in the oceans of the world. Accordingly, the latest method of using a space satellite to track the flow of microplastics will save the environment from one of the main problems of our time.
Source: Trash Box
I’m Meagan Diaz, a news writer and author at World Stock Market. My main focus is on technology and stock market trends, and I’m passionate about helping readers stay informed on the ever-changing landscape. I bring extensive knowledge of the industry to my work as well as a knack for storytelling that makes my articles both accessible and engaging.
