311 日本大海嘯漂浮物將飄向美西岸 / Japan Tsunami Debris Sloshing Around The Pacific

俄羅斯船艦 STS Pallada 號於9月下旬回程中行經過太平洋中途島，發現了一批今年311日本大地震的漂流物 (離日2000離遠) ，有電視、冰箱、家具等，還包括被當時海嘯捲走的20英呎福島 (Fukushima)漁船 。夏威夷大學國際太平洋研究中心 (University of Hwaii Mānoa International Pacific Research Center) 由於此實證比原先預期測還快，據此重新估測第一波漂流物預計今年冬季會抵達中途島環礁，不到兩年會到達夏威夷，三年內到達美國西岸。

Televisions, fridges and furniture pieces are heading for Hawaii, as a huge amount of debris from Japan’s earthquake sails across the Pacific.

Up to 20 million tons of debris from the earthquake in March is traveling faster than expected and could reach the U.S. West Coast in three years.

It could be the first official report of tsunami debris from Japan nearing Hawaii.

A new report coming from a Russian ship have UH researchers changing their predictions. Since the March 11th earthquake and tsunami, researchers have been predicting it would take about two years for the debris from Japan to hit Hawaii's west-facing beaches.

“We have a rough estimate of 5 to 20 million tons of debris coming from Japan,” said UH computer programming researcher Jan Hafner. An average of 10 million tons of debris, the same amount released into the north Pacific basin in one year, was dislodged and set adrift in one day.

“Hawaii is just in the path,” said Hafner. Since the disaster, Hafner has been watching and calculating that wave of debris on a specialized computer program that follows and analyzes the currents.

In September, he got a chance to meet with Russian senior researcher Nikolai Maximenko and his crew on the STS Pallada.

Crew members from the Russian training ship the STS Pallada "spotted the debris 2,000 miles from Japan," last month after passing the Midway islands, the Mail wrote. "They saw some pieces of furniture, some appliances, anything that can float, and they picked up a fishing boat," said Hafner. The boat was 20-feet long, and was painted with the word "Fukushima." "That's actually our first confirmed report of tsunami debris," Hafner told KITV.

Hafner and UH researchers predict the first wave of tsunami debris will hit Midway Atoll by this winter, then Hawaii in less than 2 years. 

Read more: 

UH Researcher Predicts Tsunami Debris Coming Sooner To Hawaii

TVs, fridges and fishing boats: How TWENTY MILLION tons of Japan tsunami debris is closing in on Hawaii

More photos: http://goo.gl/DTIbv

打撈情形

Debris wave: Up to 20 million tons of debris from the earthquake is travelling faster than expected and could reach the U.S. West Coast in three years

Click to see the animation 模擬動畫

On the way: Experts have revised predictions to say the debris will reach will now reach the Midway Islands by winter and Hawaii in less than two years

Mobile App Tip - Track Marine Debris from the Japan Tsunami

Android 2.1 and up, 556KB, Free

APP : Marine Debris Tracker

via: TVs, fridges and fishing boats: How TWENTY MILLION tons of Japan tsunami debris is closing in on Hawaii, UH Researcher Predicts Tsunami Debris Coming Sooner To Hawaii, Mobile App Tip - Track Marine Debris from the Japan Tsunami