Brazilian Researchers Find 'Terrifying' Plastic Rocks on Distant Island
2023-03-20
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1Geology is the study of rocks, soil, and the physical structure of the Earth.
2The geology of Brazil's volcanic Trindade Island, a home for turtles, is causing concern due to the presence of rocks made from leftover plastic.
3The island is about 1,140 km from the southeastern state of Espirito Santo.
4Researchers say the discovery of melted plastic mixed with rocks on the island is evidence of humans' growing influence over the earth's geological movements.
5"This is new and terrifying at the same time, because pollution has reached geology," said Fernanda Avelar Santos.
6She is a geologist at the Federal University of Parana.
7Santos and her team ran chemical tests to find out what kind of plastics are in the rocks called "plastiglomerates."
8They are called "plastiglomerates" because they are made up of small parts of rock and other materials and it is held together by plastic.
9Santos said they identified the pollution as mainly coming from fishing gear, which is a very common waste on the coast of Trinidade Island.
10She said the gear is pulled by sea currents and gathers on the beach.
11When the temperature rises, the plastic melts and becomes mixed with the beach's natural material.
12Trindade Island is one of the world's most important conservation areas for green turtles, or Chelonia mydas.
13Thousands arrive each year to lay their eggs.
14The only humans that live on Trindade are members of the Brazilian navy.
15It keeps a base on the island and protects the turtles.
16"The place where we found these samples (of plastic) is a permanently preserved area in Brazil, near the place green turtles lay their eggs," Santos said.
17Santos said the discovery raises questions about the effect humans have had on the earth.
18"We talk so much about the Anthropocene, and this is it," Santos said.
19The Anthropocene is a proposed geological period in which human activities have had a very important effect on the earth's environment and climate.
20She said the pollution, the waste in the sea, and plastic incorrectly thrown out in the oceans are becoming geological material "... preserved in the earth's records."
21I'm Gregory Stachel.
1Geology is the study of rocks, soil, and the physical structure of the Earth. The geology of Brazil's volcanic Trindade Island, a home for turtles, is causing concern due to the presence of rocks made from leftover plastic. 2The island is about 1,140 km from the southeastern state of Espirito Santo. Researchers say the discovery of melted plastic mixed with rocks on the island is evidence of humans' growing influence over the earth's geological movements. 3"This is new and terrifying at the same time, because pollution has reached geology," said Fernanda Avelar Santos. She is a geologist at the Federal University of Parana. 4Santos and her team ran chemical tests to find out what kind of plastics are in the rocks called "plastiglomerates." They are called "plastiglomerates" because they are made up of small parts of rock and other materials and it is held together by plastic. 5Santos said they identified the pollution as mainly coming from fishing gear, which is a very common waste on the coast of Trinidade Island. She said the gear is pulled by sea currents and gathers on the beach. When the temperature rises, the plastic melts and becomes mixed with the beach's natural material. 6Trindade Island is one of the world's most important conservation areas for green turtles, or Chelonia mydas. Thousands arrive each year to lay their eggs. The only humans that live on Trindade are members of the Brazilian navy. It keeps a base on the island and protects the turtles. 7"The place where we found these samples (of plastic) is a permanently preserved area in Brazil, near the place green turtles lay their eggs," Santos said. 8Santos said the discovery raises questions about the effect humans have had on the earth. 9"We talk so much about the Anthropocene, and this is it," Santos said. The Anthropocene is a proposed geological period in which human activities have had a very important effect on the earth's environment and climate. 10She said the pollution, the waste in the sea, and plastic incorrectly thrown out in the oceans are becoming geological material "... preserved in the earth's records." 11I'm Gregory Stachel. 12Sergio Queiroz reported this story for Reuters. Gregory Stachel adapted it for VOA Learning English. 13_________________________________________________________________ 14Words in This Story 15turtle - n. a reptile that lives mostly in water and that has a hard shell which covers its body 16terrify - v. to cause (someone) to be extremely afraid 17sample - n. a small amount of something that gives you information about the thing it was taken from 18preserve - n. an area where plants, animals, or minerals are protected 19________________________________________________________________ 20What do you think of this story? 21We want to hear from you. We have a new comment system. Here is how it works: 22Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here.