Floating island of rubbish three times size of BRITAIN floating towards California
Five millions tons of debris made up of devastated property is making its way to the US following the 2011 tsunami in Japan
Reuters
A floating island of debris three times the size of BRITAIN is heading for the California coastline sparking huge environmental concerns.
Five millions tons of rubbish made up of devastated homes, boats, cars and businesses is making its way across the Pacific Ocean following the 2011 tsunami in Japan.
Scientists have already discovered debris on the west coast but their latest findings suggest California is expected to be hit with a deluge all at once.
America’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released their latest findings showing a huge island of rubbish floating northeast of the Hawaiian Islands.
Boffins have been unable to say for certain when the debris will wash ashore but they have been closely monitoring its movements which stretches from Alaska to the Philippines.
Seven months ago, the first documented debris from the tsunami reached Crescent City, California.
A 20-foot boat belonging to the marine sciences program at Takata High School in the north east city of Rikuzentakata was discovered washed up.
NOAA spokeswoman Keeley Belva said more than 1,600 reports of debris had been firmly traced back to the tsunami.
They included a small boat found in Hawaii, a motorbike washed ashore on the coast of British Columbia and large pieces of a dock in Washington state and Oregon.
A football was also discovered on an Alsakan island still with its owner’s name it.
The boy was traced to Rikuzentakata.
The tsunami devastated the east coast of Japan in March 2011.
Caused by the massive T?hoku earthquake it sent a colossal undersea “megathrust” creating waves up to 41 metres tall crashing on to the shoreline.
The tsunami was so powerful scientists measured it had moved Honshu - the main island of Japan - eight feet.
The Fukushima nuclear power plant was left destroyed sending three of its reactors in to meltdown.
It led to hundreds of thousands of residents being evacuated up to 50 miles away.
However despite the leaking radioactive reactor water from the plant, none of the floating debris has tested positive for radiation.
Check out our before and after pictures of the areas devastated by the tsunami in our gallery below.
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Japan tsunami: Two years on
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