Journal Entry

Riddle for you

What's 800 miles long, is crude but not rude, and zigzags across Alaska? (What is the significance of the silver line running across Alaska in this picture?)

Need a hint?

  1. One end is the northernmost ice-free port in the United States.

  2. It crosses from the south to the north of the state, which is why it's considered "Trans-Alaskan".

  3. It took three years to build and is 800 miles long.

  4. It's above ground for most of its 800 miles, but some sections are buried in the permafrost.

  5. It transports something VERY valuable to everyone in the United States.

  6. Bonus fact: Every four days, they send a "pig" through to help clean out debris. (!)

What could it be?

(see below for the answer!) (Toughest quiz you'll ever take, I know.)

Today's Haiku

800 miles

Transports crude oil from North Slope

Zigzag pipes that move

Riddle Answer:

These are photos of the Trans-Alaskan Pipeline! It runs in a zig zag formation in order to be more flexible in case of earthquakes, and to permit expansion and contraction with extreme temperature changes. (Cool fact: Did you know Alaska has the most seismic activity of all of the 50 states?)

It's raised above ground so it doesn't melt the permafrost, and it's also high enough above ground to allow caribou, moose, and other wildlife to wander underneath! The pipeline is also insulated by a support system with pipes that sometimes remove heat to keep the ground frozen--and therefore stable.

What engineering!

Some of the reasons portions are buried underground are for traffic, rockslide/ avalanche prone areas, animal crossings, and soil stability, too. (making sure it wouldn't thaw too much to make the pipe unstable)

The Pipeline carries crude oil from the Prudhoe Bay in the North Slope of Alaska, all the way south to the Valdez Marine Terminal, North America's northernmost ice-free port. It's about 4 feet in diameter, and was constructed in less than 3 years! (March 1975-May 1977

Video

Watch the short video below to learn a bit more about the construction. (It was produced by the National Park Services; and although I'm not crazy about the music, the details and visuals are vivid and informative.)

Comments

Thu, 04/05/2018 - 14:59

Mike Penn

Thank you for this Journal! I'll be referring some of my students to this because I was telling them about our jaunt out to see the pipeline. Your description is much better than mine...and I'm not much of a poet! Thanks!

Mon, 04/09/2018 - 05:16

Guest

Wow very interesting! i did not know it took three years for that pipeline to be built. it must be huge seeing it in person?!

Mon, 04/09/2018 - 06:18

Gavin Holland

To be honest, I went onto this website being totally skeptical with a terrible mindset thinking that everything on here was going to be boring. In contrast, reading your journal entry was very interesting, and the riddles and word choice you used made learning fun. What is the most interesting fact you know about the silver line that you didn't put in this entry?

Tue, 04/10/2018 - 16:38

Wendi Pillars

Tell them to answer before they peek at the response! Hope you are doing well, Mike!

Tue, 04/10/2018 - 16:52

Wendi Pillars

What a lovely comment--thank you! Also, what a challenging question! Hmmmm....Can I tell you two facts that I think are pretty cool?1) I love languages, so I want to share that the state name of "Alaska" is derived from an old spelling of the Aleut word "Alyeska" (or "Aleyska"), which means "great land." What makes this doubly cool is the company that owns the Pipeline is the Alyeska Pipeline Service Company!

2) The silver line totally reminds me of mercury in a thermometer, and I learned that in Alaska, when temps get super cold (apparently quite frequently), the mercury freezes around -38 degrees F! Brrrrrr! (but the oil in the pipeline still keeps moving and every four days they send a "pig" through the pipeline to keep it cleaned out!)

So much to learn--tell me something else YOU learned today, and where would YOU like to visit?

Tue, 04/10/2018 - 16:57

Wendi Pillars

HUGE! You're absolutely right! I could barely reach the bottom of the pipeline, standing on my tiptoes on a ridge of snow! It's high enough to let Caribou (and their super tall antlers) walk underneath, and it's 4 feet across.
I wonder how tall you are? Do you know anyone who is 48" tall? Imagine him/ her standing in a pipe so big they don't even have to bend down to fit! Or, if you're feeling froggy, you could hold your friend on their side and they wouldn't even have to bend to fit. Sweet!

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