Aidan Lavelle 3/19/18 

Fetty Science P5 C-E-R 

Claim:  ● Floating garbage tends to build up in patterns due to the movement of the oceans’ water due to many 
factors. 

Evidence:  ● Module E pgs. 24 - 40  

● Continental deflection is a process during which the currents change direction due to many reasons, 
including namely “bouncing” off land.  
● A gyre is a current that moves in the motion of a circle.  
● Ocean Webquest  
● The Great Pacific Garbage patch is a collection of garbage that was formed due to the constant 
circular movement of the gyres that surround it 
● Warm water has a lower density, and therefore rises. Cold water has a higher density and sinks. 
Density also increases with a higher salt content 
● The Coriolis effect causes current to form circular patterns such as gyres. 
● Density Lab  
● Hot water rises and cold water sinks due to differences in density. Salt is more dense than water, 
therefore it can cause salty water to sink below the water with a lower salt content.  

Reasoning:  ● As we know, in the ocean, there are many currents that move in various patterns. There are two 
different types of currents: surface currents and deep ocean currents. Surface currents, as implied by 
their name, are near the top of the water and are therefore affected by the winds. Deep ocean currents, 
on the other hand, are affected by density of certain waters. These two currents make up the global 
ocean circulation. The things that the trash gets stuck in is called a gyre, which is a group of currents 
flowing in a circular direction, which also tend to trap things inside. A further part of the reason of the 
circular movement is continental deflection. Continental deflection is when a current runs into a 
continent, builds water up, then proceeds to “bounce” off it.