BajaNomad - Japanese flotsam in Baja?

Japanese flotsam in Baja?

Ken Cooke - 4-1-2011 at 08:01 PM

What is the probability that some of the flotsam from the March 11th tsunami will reach locations in Baja such as Malarrimo?

Whatever it is

Dave - 4-1-2011 at 09:24 PM

It'll probably be glowing :rolleyes:

Ken Cooke - 4-1-2011 at 09:50 PM

dtbushpilot - 4-1-2011 at 10:02 PM

If someone has a Geiger counter laying around I will stop there on my way North in a couple of weeks and check it out....dt

Ken Cooke - 4-1-2011 at 10:48 PM

Tsunami trash could wash ashore on our beaches within a year

link: http://www.komonews.com/news/local/118622414.html

SEATTLE -- As the Japanese begin the long journey to reclaim their lives, concern now turns to the tremendous amount of trash and debris swept out to sea by the deadly tsunami.

"It's a major catastrophe for the people, and I feel heartsick for them," said oceanographer Curtis Ebbesmeyer. "But it's also a major catastrophe for the ocean."

Ebbesmeyer has studied the ocean's current for years. He predicts the trash from the Japanese tsunami is making its way to Pacific Northwest beaches.

"We're going to get a lot of lumber," he said. "You've seen the houses that have been smashed."

Ebbesmeyer says the trash will spread north towards Alaska, and south towards California. The north flow will circulate in a pattern known as the Sub-Arctic Gyre, taking about a year to complete. The south flow, called the Sub-Tropical Gyre, will take about three years.

"We're going to be using the U.S. Navy weather data to update the debris field every month from now on," Ebbesmeyer said.

Experts say beachcombers will likely be our early warning system for what's washing up on our shores.

"I think everyone has to do their part in trying to preserve our coasts, our wetlands, and our ecosystems," said beachcomber Bruce Bonsack.

Local health departments are monitoring the situation but say it's too early to tell if the debris will pose any environmental or health risk to us.

"Nobody knows," Ebbesmeyer said. "We haven't had an episode like this."

The first debris we're likely to see are the large items such as fishing boats and other vessels. Those could arrive within a year or less.

DanO - 4-1-2011 at 11:02 PM

Tsunami trash? Who cares? What sickens me is what I'm reading about the life expectancy of the people working at the nuclear plant trying to to contain the situation. Those people -- hundreds of them -- are all going to die horrible deaths within months, if not weeks, from the massive doses of radiation they are taking. And the utility is advertising worldwide for new workers willing to work there for $5,000 a day. Anyone interested in a short term career change? And I do mean short term.

Bric-a-brac Nipping over to Baja

MrBillM - 4-2-2011 at 02:42 AM

Anyone (myself included) who has spent a few ramblings through Nature's Junkshop on Scavenger's Beach has seen a plethora of Japanese Junk so it is a given that we'll see more from the Big Wave.

Probably no bodies will make it, which is just as well. They'd likely be a B-tch to get through Homeland Security for Lawn Decorations.

They'd be kind of neat, though.

FISHING ..

Norm - 4-2-2011 at 07:24 AM

There is a $5000.00 dollar reward for the first Honda caught from our shore !! Hook Em any way you can...

BajaRat - 4-2-2011 at 02:27 PM

WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What about the uncontrolled release of highly RADIO-ACTIVE material into the pacific current that on a short term are horrible, but what are the long term effects? And every one involved shuts up. :barf:

BajaRat - 4-2-2011 at 02:36 PM

PARDON ME WHILE I BURN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

mtgoat666 - 4-2-2011 at 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by BajaRat
WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What about the uncontrolled release of highly RADIO-ACTIVE material into the pacific current that on a short term are horrible, but what are the long term effects? And every one involved shuts up.

dilution is the solution

BajaRat - 4-2-2011 at 02:46 PM

Cool let's hope for it MG6

Cypress - 4-2-2011 at 02:55 PM

Flotsam? Good term. Translation? Ocean scum? Radio active?

BajaRat - 4-2-2011 at 02:59 PM

Pacific............Amazing place. She's gonna out live all of us.

BajaBruno - 4-2-2011 at 11:20 PM

What Ken's otherwise excellent current map doesn't show is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, an area that stretches across the middle of the North Pacific Ocean where "stuff" seems to become trapped in a current vortex. The Japan, or Kuroshio Current, arrives at the vortex fairly quickly (about one year) and it will be interesting to see how much debris circulates in that gyre rather than continuing to travel to the North American shores.

Given the extraordinary destruction of the tsunami on an intensely developed country, we are bound to eventually see some flotsam all along the North American coastline, but when it happens we will probably have forgotten about the tragedy in Japan.