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Trip to Washington

Fairbanks, Alaska

Aug-Sept, 2002

Fairbanks, Alaska - MAP

North Pole Alaska Map More info on the North Pole

More info on Fairbanks

Riding the Alaskan Rail Road from Denali to Fairbanks

The first night in Fairbanks I saw the Aurora Borealis. What a beautiful event - I stood outside for almost 3 hours watching the lights in the sky. For more information on Northern Lights refer to the following inserted page from the University of Alaska.

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The Trans-Alaskan Pipeline - Mile 450 More info on the Alaskan Pipeline

On March 13, 1968, The Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO) and Humble Oil and Refining Company (now Exxon Company, U.S.A.) announced that they had found a major oil supply in the northern part of the State of Alaska. The Prudhoe Bay well was a success. Within a couple of months, it was determined that a 800.302 mile pipeline would be the best way to transport the oil to Prince William Sound and the southern coast of Alaska. Over the next six years the work would take them to elevations as high as 4,739 feet and cover 16.3 square miles of the state's terraine. To build a safe and reliable pipeline they would have to consider ambient temperatures between -80 degrees F and 95 degrees F. They would also factor the plants and wildlife that might be affected into their calculations. Since it started operation the pipeline has delivered an maximum average daily throughput of 2.136 million bbl., avg. with 11 pump stations operating.

THIS SECTION STILL NEEDS TO BE FINISHED

Cost—Approximately $8 billion for construction of entire system, including Terminal and pump stations, at conclusion of initial construction period in 1977. Does not include interest on capital investment, or capital construction after 1977.

The following section is quoted from: "Trans-Alaska Pipeline System FACTS" June, 2001, Pages 70-73

Design modes:

Selection—Soil sampling and other means were used to determine soil types along the route. Where
thaw-stable soils were found, the pipeline was buried in the conventional manner. In areas of thaw-unstable soils, and where heat from the pipeline might cause thawing and consequent loss of soil foundation stability, the pipeline was insulated and elevated above ground by means of a unique support system.

Basic types and miles of each:
Above-ground—420 mi.
Conventional below-ground—376 mi.
Refrigerated below-ground-—4 mi.

Description:

Above-ground—Specially designed vertical supports were placed in drilled holes or driven into the ground. In warm permafrost (See Permafrost, p. 78-81) and other areas where heat might cause undesirable thawing, the supports contain two each, 2-inch pipes called “heat pipes,” containing anhydrous ammonia, which vaporizes below ground, rises and condenses above-ground, removing ground heat whenever the ground temperature exceeds the temperature of the air. Heat is transferred through the walls of the heat pipes to aluminum radiators atop the pipes.

Conventional below-ground—The pipe is and covered with prepared gravel padding and soil fill material, in a ditch from 8 ft. to 16 ft. deep in most locations, but up to 49 ft. deep at one location. Zinc ribbons, which serve as sacrificial anodes to inhibit corrosion of the pipe, are buried alongside the pipeline. The Atigun pipe replacement section, 8.5 miles in length, has four magnesium ribbon sacrificial anodes installed. Electrical currents in the earth’s surface, called “telluric currents” and caused by the same phenomenon that generates the Northern Lights, can be picked up by the pipeline and zinc! magnesium anodes. The zinc/magnesium anodes act like grounding rods to safely return these currents back to the earth, reducing the risk of damage to the pipeline.

Special burial, non-refrigerated——In areas of thaw-unstable soils calling for elevated pipeline construction, but where the pipeline had to be buried for highway, animal crossings, or avoidance of rockslides and avalanches, the line was insulated, to protect the permafrost from the heat of the pipeline, and buried.

Special burial, refrigerated—In some areas the line was insulated and buried in a refrigerated ditch. Refrigeration plants at each of these points circulate chilled brine through loops of 6-inch diameter pipe to maintain the soil in a stable frozen condition. Under gravel workpad or road—2 in. to 4 in. (limited areas only)"

RETIRED PIG (sign next to the exhibit)

This pig scrapped wax from the internal walls of the pipe when the pipeline first began operating. Once a system warmed up from the constant flow of hot North Slope oil, wax buildup ended. At that time the scrapper pig was replaced by the lighter and softer polyurethane version in the next picture. The polyurethane pig smoothes the flow of oil by reducing turbulence, making it easier to pump. The oil is approximately 100 degrees F. as it passes through this location. The scrapper pig weighs 2,600, almost 1,000 pounds more than its replacement.

PIGS IN THE PIPELINE (sign next to the exhibit)

Devices called "pigs" improve the flow of oil through the Trans Alaska pipeline in monitor or its condition. Pigs are launched and retrieved at pump stations and travels with pipeline with the moving oil. The orange polyurethane sample in this pipe segment is a cleaning and flow improvement pig. Other more sophisticated pigs use magnetic fields and ultrasonic signals to detect small changes in the pipes wall thickness and shape. Pigs are among the most important tools available for protecting the pipeline and detecting potential problems.

Large Animal Research Station

The muskoxen, reindeer, and caribou are survivors from the last ice age. The shaggy muskox lived alongside the mammoth and today lives on the most northerly land masses in Alaska. The restless caribou maintain their year-long migrations across the circumpolar North. Most species have made unique and fascinating adaptations enabling a long, shared existence in one of the most extreme environments on earth. The research station is dedicated to better understanding the biology of these animals and in making its knowledge available for research management and in education. By maintaining colonies of muskoxen and barren ground caribou, unique opportunities are afforded to scientists and students from all the world.

The University of Alaska Museum

Dinosaurs of Alaska

"The record of dinosaurs Alaska spans approximately 65 million years from the Late Jurassic to the Late Cretaceous. The Late Cretaceous rocks (83 to 68 million years ago) contained the most abundant and diverse record of dinosaurs thus far documented. The great balk of this Cretaceous record is found on Alaska's northern slope from Umiat to Ocean Point on the Coville River. Dinosaur fossil czar known from Northwestern, Southwestern, and South Central Alaska although a single partial skull of the ankylosaur (armored dinosaur), Edmontonia, has been described in the Central Talkeetna Mountains of South Central Alaska.

The dinosaur hunting grounds along the Coville River represent the richest accumulation of bones to be found in the Arctic. Work since 1985 is produced over 4000 bones and teeth. These fossils represent that we six different families of dinosaurs. The most common form is a herbivorous, non-crested, hadrosaur (duckbill) named Edmontosaurus. The usual ceratopsian (horned) dinosaur, Pachyrhinosaurus, has also been found along the Coville river near Ocean Point. In addition, at least three families of theropods, or carnivorous dinosaurs, are represented by teeth and rear skull and vertebrae fragments. These bipedal, carnivores (Albertosaurus, Troodon, and Saurornitholestes) were swift in intelligent must have been the common predators and scavengers of the duct bills and horned dinosaurs."

BLUE BABE STEPPE BISON (Bison priscus) - Pearl Creek - Donor: Walter and Ruth Roman and sons; Dan Egan

"This is a re-constructed carcass of a male Alaskan steppe bison which was found in the summer of 1979 by Walter and Ruth Roman and sons at their placer mine near Fairbanks. The excavation was conducted by a professor at the Institute of Arctic biology, University of Alaska.

This specimen has a blue skull or over the entire carcass. This resulted when the phosphorus in the animal tissue reacted with the iron in the soil to produce mineral coating of vivianite, which became a brilliant blue when it was exposed to air. Hence, this steppe bison was nicknamed Blue Babe, after Paul Bunyan's giant blue ox.

The steppe bison is one of the several extinct large mammals that Roman interior Alaska during the Wisconsinan glacial period 100,000 to 10,000 years ago. The same species has been found across Eurasia to Spain and France, were bison drawings were made on the cave walls by Paleolithic artists.

This steppe bison died about 36,000 years ago. It's under fur and the remains of summer fat reveal that it died in early winter. Claw marks on the rear of carcass and to punctures in the skin indicate that the bison was probably killed by one of its predators."

Discovery River Tour

A Bush Pilot can land on a dime.

Houses, houses and more houses. Each with a boat and/or plane for transportation.

Susan Butcher (Iditarod Champion) talks to us about the challenges that one encounters trying to train and take care of 100-150 sled dogs that have more energy than 10 people. They truly love what they do.

Sled dogs consume tons of salmon each year and it all has to be caught and preserved for the winter months.

What a nice ride is everyone's comment......

We also visited a native village and learned about their culture first hand. Jessie Butcher (Iditarod Jr. Champion and daughter of Susan Butcher) commanded the sled team that raced around the village in front of the ship.

Home Hosted Dinner by Richard and Jo Scott

and the Fairbanks Art Association

May I extend special thanks to Susan Motter for the book and for the historic pictures of Fairbanks that will appear on this page.

Susan Motter and Jo Scott greet the group.

I love the art in their home. I'm not surprised that they have some of the best that is available in Alaska. Jo played the piano as we waited for our cooks to finish grilling the salmon and putting the finishing touches on our salad and home cooked meal.

Our table enjoyed the home grown vegetables and grilled salmon with a bottle of wine. Best salmon that I've had in a long time.

Time to visit and congratulate people with anniversaries and birthdays.

Shots of the Scotts yard and home.

More info on Fairbanks

Fairbanks International Airport: This is the room where Pope John Paul met with President Reagan on May 2, 1984.

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Permafrost Pages 81-83

Definition—Any rock or soil material that has remained below 32 degrees F continuously for two or more years. The two-year minimum stipulation is meant to exclude from the definition the overlying ground surface layer which freezes every winter and thaws every summer (called the “active layer" or "seasonal frost").

By Type-

Cold permafrost- Remains below 30 degrees F, and which may be as low as 100 F as on the North Slope; tolerates introduction of considerable heat with-out thawing.

Ice-rich—20% to 50% visible ice.

Thaw-stable—Permafrost in bedrock, in well drained, coarse-grained sediments such as glacial outwash gravel, and in many sand and gravel mixtures. Subsidence or settlement when thawed is minor, foundation remains essentially sound.

Thaw-unstable—Poorly drained, fine grained soils, especially silts and clays. Such soils generally contain large amounts of ice. The result of thawing can be loss of strength, excessive settlement and soil containing so much moisture that it flows.

Warm permafrost—Remains just below 32~ F. The addition of very little additional heat may induce thawing.

Depth along pipeline route—From a few inches to 2,230 ft. approx.

Location, definitions:

Continuous Zone—Permafrost is found almost everywhere in the zone, as the name implies. Includes all of the North Slope and most of Western Alaska.
Discontinuous Zone—Permafrost is found intermittently~ Includes much of the interior of the state.
Sporadic Zone—Permafrost is found in isolated, small masses of permanently frozen ground.

Pipeline, affected areas- Approximately 75% of the line passes through permafrost terrain. The line traverses the continuous zone on the North Slope and through the Brooks Range; it then encounters the discontinuous and sporadic zones and passes through areas of no permafrost in the immediate vicinity of Valdez.

Problems —

Frost-heaving—When the active layer freezes, ice forms, pushing the ground surface upward.
Frost-jacking—When heaving occurs as described above, if a structure imbedded in the ground is not properly anchored to resist such movement, the structure will be forced upward along with the ground surface. In most cases, the structure does not return to its original position when the active layer thaws during the following summer. The net upward movement is called “jacking.” This phenomenon can occur whenever there is seasonal freezing and thawing of the active layer, and is not limited to permafrost areas.
Thaw settlement—Structures founded on “thaw-unstable” permafrost may settle if the large amounts of ice in the thaw-unstable permafrost are melted. Melting is typically caused by heat from the structure or changes to the natural thermal conditions.

Design solutions—The pipeline design is based primarily on the soil conditions encountered along the right-of-way. There are three principal design modes.

Above-ground pipeline- Where thaw-unstable permafrost was encountered, problems associated with melting permafrost were avoided by placing the pipeline above ground on an elevated support system. VSMs (pilings) used to support the line were designed to resist frost-jacking forces. To allow animals to cross, twenty-three sections were conventionally buried line-wide, each about 200 feet long.
Below-ground pipeline, conventional burial—Where either unfrozen or thaw-stable permafrost were encountered the pipeline was buried in the conventional manner with no special provisions for permafrost.
Below-ground pipeline, special burial—Where thaw-unstable permafrost was encountered, but where the pipeline had to be buried for highway, animal crossings, or avoidance of rockslides and avalanches, protection of the permafrost from heat of the pipeline was provided by insulation around the pipeline. Some special burials include ground refrigeration systems along with pipe insulations.

Special burial locations—( about four miles)
MP 645-649 approx.—caribou crossing
MP 681 approx.—highway crossing (Glenn Highway)
Two sections (about one mile) in Atigun Pass were buried in insulated boxes to provide protection from rock slides and avalanches.

(Pages 78-81)

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