¼ degree surface currents maps: daily from 01Aug1999 till 19Nov2009 (span of QSCAT data)

Switch to ASCAT wind data for daily updates SCUD dataset is open for free unrestricted use and distribution Disseminated by APDRC servers :

http://apdrc.soest.hawaii.edu/projects/SCUD/ LAS, LAS7, OpeNDAP, DChart SCUD manual :

http://apdrc.soest.hawaii.edu/projects/SCUD/SCUD_manual_02_17.pdf

SCUD users listserver: http://apdrc.soest.hawaii.edu/projects/SCUD/registration.html

Final Product and data access

Ocean Surface Currents and Circulation of Marine DebrisJan Hafner and Nikolai Maximenko, IPRC/SOEST University of Hawaii

IPRC Symposium 7th September 2011

Application on Marine Debris

Japanese Tsunami 11th March 2011

AVISO sea level QSCAT ocean surface wind

Ocean surface currents

SCUD

Starting 01 AUG 1999ending 18 NOV 2009

SCUD - Surface CUrrents from Diagnostic model

Drifters = marine debris

Drifter Data AOML – 8058

drifters

SCUD model

Drifters' Trajectories

Numerical Experiment: SCUD currentsapplied on ocean tracers released dailyfrom coast and weighted by coastal populationcount

Where the marine debris goes?How it gets there ?

Photos of debris plume off Honshu after March 11, 2011 tsunami

Courtesy of US Navy

Conclusions:•Hawaii is the final destination of marine debris from the North Pacific – impacted the most•application of ocean surface current models on marine debris problem•more direct observations needed•March 2011 tsunami in Japan – opportunity to gain new knowledge about marine debris propagation and final destination

Estimate: 6-10 million tons released. Where will it all go?

SCUD Statistical model

SCUD

Statistical modelRate of “Mar 11, 2011” model debris deposition on shore after 10 years

678,305 tracers released then advected by daily SCUD currents

Hawaii

AsiaAlaska

California years

Daily updates:http://iprc.soest.hawaii.edu/users/hafner/PUBLIC/TSUNAMI_DEBRIS/tsunami_tracers_no_vector_large.html