A closer look
You’d think climbing an isolated mountain would get you away from city trash, but the atmosphere has other plans. Scientists sampling the air high up at the Pic du Midi Observatory in the French Pyrenees made a terrifying discovery: microplastics from the ocean are becoming aerosolized. Wave action and sea breezes whip these tiny plastic shards out of the water, launching them into the troposphere where they catch rides on fast-moving jet streams. They travel thousands of miles before settling on pristine snowcaps. We've officially polluted the planet so thoroughly that the sky is raining our discarded yoga pants.
