Hunting for marine plastic
[ad_1]
Marine plastic litter was dumped into a realistic scale model of the Atlantic Ocean to test if space technologies would be able to detect it from orbit.
The best estimate is that an average 10 million tons of plastic enter the ocean annually – equivalent to a fresh truckload of plastic dumped every minute – but researchers only know what happens to about 1% of it. Satellite monitoring might in future help track its extent, and see where it goes – if it can be proven to work in practice.
“Our goal here is to answer a few fundamental questions,” says ESA antenna engineer Peter de Maagt, overseeing the campaign.
“To start with, can we detect floating plastics with space-based monitoring at all? And if so, which techniques show the most promise, at what frequency and with what sensitivity? Up until now researchers have had general gut feelings about what might work the best, but we are working to remove any guesswork.”
The test campaign took place at the Deltares research institute near Delft in the Netherlands, inside its mammoth Atlantic Basin Facility.
Anton de Fockert, flow expert from Deltares, explains: “This one of a kind 650 sq. m. facility is equipped with wave generators to create realistic deep water waves which can be found in the ocean.”
Peter notes: “We decided to make this facility available to various European groups researching different satellite methods to identify marine plastic litter.The teams were recruited through ESA’s Open Space Innovation Platform, OSIP, seeking novel ideas for new space research activities.”
Anton de Fockert adds: “The plastic used in the basin included material previously recovered from the sea through cleanup campaigns by Stichting de Noordzee and Schone Rivieren as well as ‘fresh’ samples.”
For maximum realism, the plastic placed into the basin took the form of popular items found at sea, such as bags, bottles, marine nets and ropes, cutlery and Styrofoam balls. Additional non-plastic items were also added – to better mimic actual distribution found at sea – including cigarette ends.
“This first test campaign lasted for two weeks, plus an initial week for setup,” says Peter. “We started simple with a lot of floating plastic and no waves, moving to reducing the overall plastic amount as we began with gentle waves, then made them progressively bigger.”
Monitoring from above the facility were the participating teams, plus their specialist instrumentation, intended to simulate observations from space.
Teams from the Institute for Telecommunications in Portugal and the University of Stirling in Scotland employed radar remote sensing. Spain’s Polytechnic University of Catalonia made use of ‘GNSS reflectometry’, which relies on reflected signals from navigation satellites. A group from the University of Oldenburg in Germany deployed optical instrumentation.
Meanwhile a combined team from the University of Alberta in Canada and Technical University Delft in the Netherlands performed fundamental physic analyses – including attempting to better quantify the wave-damping effect of marine plastic litter, which might be harnessed to estimate plastic concentrations in the future.
“We’re now processing our data,” explains Peter. “The initial results look promising, meaning that under certain circumstances the teams did receive useable signals, but there is a lot of analysis still to be performed. We aim to use the time between this test campaign and the follow-up, due to take place early next year, to identify gaps in knowledge that need further focus.”
This project is part of a larger OSIP campaign on marine plastic litter, supported through ESA’s Discovery and Preparation programme, underseeing basic research that lays the ground for future Agency missions.
Watch our full-length Planet Aqua documentary on space technologies for water management, including marine plastic litter detection, hosted by ESA astronaut André Kuipers.
[ad_2]
Original Post
What i do not realize is actually how you’re now not actually much more neatly-preferred than you may be now. You are so intelligent. You recognize thus considerably on the subject of this topic, produced me individually believe it from so many numerous angles. Its like women and men aren’t involved unless it is something to do with Girl gaga! Your personal stuffs great. Always deal with it up!
Heya just wanted to give you a quick heads up and let you know a few of the images aren’t loading correctly. I’m not sure why but I think its a linking issue. I’ve tried it in two different web browsers and both show the same outcome.
I couldn’t resist commenting
I enjoy the efforts you have put in this, regards for all the great articles.
you’ve got a great blog right here! would you prefer to make some invite posts on my weblog?
Perfectly pent content, Really enjoyed looking at.
What i don’t realize is actually how you are not really much more well-liked than you may be now. You are very intelligent. You realize therefore considerably relating to this subject, produced me personally consider it from so many varied angles. Its like women and men aren’t fascinated unless it’s one thing to do with Lady gaga! Your own stuffs nice. Always maintain it up!
Very interesting points you have noted, thankyou for putting up. “Ignorance, the root and the stem of every evil.” by Plato.
I would like to thnkx for the efforts you’ve put in writing this web site. I am hoping the same high-grade website post from you in the upcoming also. Actually your creative writing abilities has encouraged me to get my own blog now. Really the blogging is spreading its wings quickly. Your write up is a great example of it.
I really appreciate this post. I have been looking all over for this! Thank goodness I found it on Bing. You’ve made my day! Thank you again
I like this weblog so much, saved to favorites. “Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be.” by Peter De Vries.
I conceive this website has got some very good information for everyone : D.
you have a great blog here! would you like to make some invite posts on my blog?
I cling on to listening to the reports lecture about receiving boundless online grant applications so I have been looking around for the best site to get one. Could you tell me please, where could i acquire some?
My husband and i were absolutely joyful when Peter could round up his inquiry through your ideas he made out of the blog. It is now and again perplexing to just be freely giving techniques which usually other people might have been trying to sell. We really understand we now have the blog owner to thank because of that. These explanations you’ve made, the simple web site menu, the relationships you can help promote – it’s got mostly astonishing, and it’s really aiding our son and us imagine that this matter is enjoyable, which is certainly pretty important. Many thanks for the whole lot!
I appreciate, result in I found exactly what I was having a look for. You have ended my 4 day long hunt! God Bless you man. Have a nice day. Bye
I was very pleased to find this web-site.I wanted to thanks for your time for this wonderful read!! I definitely enjoying every little bit of it and I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff you blog post.
I adore your websites way of raising the awareness on your readers.
Hello! I just wanted to ask if you ever have any issues with hackers? My last blog (wordpress) was hacked and I ended up losing a few months of hard work due to no data backup. Do you have any methods to protect against hackers?
I am glad to be a visitant of this pure site! , thanks for this rare information! .
Its excellent as your other articles : D, appreciate it for putting up.
Today, I went to the beachfront with my children. I found a sea shell and gave it to my 4 year old daughter and said “You can hear the ocean if you put this to your ear.” She put the shell to her ear and screamed. There was a hermit crab inside and it pinched her ear. She never wants to go back! LoL I know this is completely off topic but I had to tell someone!
I like this blog so much, saved to bookmarks. “To hold a pen is to be at war.” by Francois Marie Arouet Voltaire.
Lovely blog! I am loving it!! Will come back again. I am taking your feeds also
I appreciate, cause I found just what I was looking for. You’ve ended my four day long hunt! God Bless you man. Have a nice day. Bye
I saw a lot of website but I think this one has got something special in it in it
My brother recommended I may like this website. He was once entirely right. This publish actually made my day. You can not imagine simply how much time I had spent for this info! Thank you!
Spot on with this write-up, I actually suppose this web site wants rather more consideration. I’ll in all probability be once more to learn way more, thanks for that info.
Fitspresso stands out among the crowded health supplement market as an exceptional product.
Nice post. I learn one thing more challenging on different blogs everyday. It’s going to always be stimulating to read content from different writers and practice just a little something from their store. I’d desire to make use of some with the content material on my weblog whether or not you don’t mind. Natually I’ll give you a link on your internet blog. Thanks for sharing.