Pacific Subtropical Convergence Zone

This area is located in the southern Pacific Ocean and is bounded by the Salas y Gomez ridge to the north, and the Valdivia Fracture Zone to the south. At its southeast edge, the circulation around this feature forces a salinity gradient in the ocean, with fresher and warmer waters of the western Pacific lying to its west and cooler and saltier waters to its east. Unfortunately, this region of the world is notorious for being home to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch – a swirling collection of debris, much of it microscopic bits of plastic. Organizations like The Ocean Cleanup are currently developing advanced technology to attempt to clean up the garbage, with the goal of undoing the plastic pollution unleashed on the Earth's oceans over the last several decades.