Water science news, explainers, and statistics covering freshwater, hydrology, lakes, rivers, groundwater, ice, and Earth’s connected water systems.
A beach can look clear and inviting while tests show that entering the water carries an elevated risk of illness. Local health agencies close swimming areas or post advisories when monitoring, spills or visible hazards indicate unsafe conditions. Bacteria after heavy rain are a common reason, but harmful algal blooms and sewage releases can also…
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Microplastics are plastic particles smaller than five millimeters, roughly the width of a pencil eraser or less. Some are manufactured at a tiny size. Many begin as larger objects that crack and fragment under sunlight, heat, abrasion and mechanical stress. NOAA uses the five-millimeter threshold in its microplastics definition. The category covers particles with different…
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a broad, shifting region where currents concentrate marine debris between California and Hawaii. It is neither a solid island nor a continuous blanket of bottles. Much of its plastic consists of tiny pieces dispersed across the surface and through the upper water column. A NOAA explanation says the exact…
The Loop Current is a swift flow of warm Caribbean water that enters the Gulf through the Yucatan Channel, curves northward in a loop and exits through the Florida Straits. From there, its water feeds the Florida Current and the Gulf Stream. The loop changes size and position, sometimes extending deep into the Gulf before…
