Trindade Island in the Atlantic Ocean, located 1,140 km off the coast of Brazil, has been surprising scientists with its geological structure for decades.
However, the latest discovery has shocked even the scientists who have seen everything – the remains of petrified, fused plastic found on the island have become part of the geological structure of this island, reports Reuters.
The fact that layers of melted plastic are interwoven with rocks warns humanity about the impact on the planet and the geological processes of our Earth. It also poses a huge risk to sensitive species such as the sea turtles that breed here.
“This is a new, unprecedented and horrifying case at the same time, because plastic pollution has reached geological levels,” Fernanda Acelar Santos, a geologist at the State University of Parana, told Reuters.
FA Santos and her team carried out chemical composition studies and found out what types of plastics have become part of the new rock, called “plastiglomates”. These formations are sedimentary rock pellets combined with various debris and plastic.
During the investigation, it became clear that plastic pollution mainly consists of fishing nets, which is a very common plastic waste on the coasts of Trindade and Martin Vazo archipelago. Plastic is carried ashore by ocean currents and accumulates on coastlines. When the air temperature rises, the plastic stuck in the coastal rocks is melted by the hot rays of the Sun – over time, the melted plastic becomes part of the rock.
Trindade Island is one of the world’s most important protected areas for green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas), where thousands of turtles come to lay their eggs every year. The only inhabitants of Trindade Island are members of the Brazilian Navy, who have a base on the island and at the same time contribute to the conservation of these turtles.
According to FA Santos, this discovery warns humanity and urges us to think as soon as possible about the consequences of plastic pollution and humanity’s legacy on Earth.
“We talk so much about the Anthropocene. That’s who he is,” said FA Santos. The Anthropocene is a new geological epoch that defines the impact of humans on the planet’s geology and ecosystems.