HONOLULU — Up to 20 million tons of tsunami debris floating from Japan could arrive on Hawaii’s shores by early 2013 before reaching the West Coast, according to estimates by University of Hawaii scientists.
A Russian training ship spotted the junk — including a refrigerator, a television set and other appliances — in an area of the Pacific Ocean where scientists from the university’s International Pacific Research Center predicted it would be. The biggest proof that the debris is from the tsunami is a fishing boat that’s been traced to Fukushima Prefecture, the area hit hardest by the March 11 disaster.
Jan Hafner, a computer programmer, said Tuesday that projections show the debris would reach the coasts of Oregon, Washington, Alaska and Canada in about 2014.
Researchers estimate the debris field is spread out across an area roughly 2,000 miles long and 1,000 miles wide between Japan and Midway Atoll, where pieces could wash up in January. Just how much already has sunk and what portion is still floating is unknown.
It’s highly unlikely the tsunami-generated debris would be contaminated with radioactive material, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s marine debris program. NOAA also is gathering information about debris sightings.
