Debris reaches North America

NHKWorld:  A Japanese government estimate shows some of the debris that washed out to sea following the earthquake and tsunami last year is approaching the west coast of North America.

About 1.5-million tons of flotsam consisting of houses, boats and other debris are believed to be drifting on ocean currents.

The government asked experts from Kyoto University and other institutions to estimate how the debris would spread, calculating the effects of sea currents and winds patterns.

The simulation shows portions of half-submerged objects such as fishing boats and buoys might have already approached the west coast of North America around February, because they move faster in the wind.
The estimate also suggests that fragments of houses, which account for 90-percent of the debris, are expected to reach North America around this coming October.

More than 40-thousand tons of rubble is forecast to arrive within 10-kilometers of shorelines around February of next year.

Japan's government will consult with affected countries on measures to clean up the rubble once it reaches their shorelines.