[edit]
| Point | Coordinates (links to map & photo sources) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Atlantic Entrance | 9.38743°N 79.91863°W | |
| Gatún Locks | 9.27215°N 79.92266°W | |
| Trinidad Turn | 9.20996°N 79.92408°W | |
| Bohío Turn | 9.17831°N 79.86667°W | |
| Orchid Turn | 9.18406°N 79.84513°W | |
| Frijoles Turn | 9.15904°N 79.81362°W | |
| Barbacoa Turn | 9.12053°N 79.80395°W | |
| Mamei Turn | 9.11161°N 79.76856°W | |
| Gamboa Reach | 9.11774°N 79.72257°W | |
| Bas Obispo Reach | 9.09621°N 79.68446°W | |
| Las Cascadas Reach | 9.07675°N 79.67492°W | |
| Empire Reach | 9.06104°N 79.66309°W | |
| Culebra Reach | 9.04745°N 79.65017°W | |
| Cucaracha Reach | 9.03371°N 79.63736°W | |
| Paraiso Reach | 9.02573°N 79.62492°W | |
| Pedro Miguel Locks | 9.01698°N 79.61281°W | |
| Miraflores Lake | 9.00741°N 79.60254°W | |
| Miraflores Locks | 8.99679°N 79.59182°W | |
| Balboa Reach | 8.97281°N 79.57771°W | |
| Pacific Entrance | 8.88846°N 79.52145°W |
Gatun Lake[edit]
Artificially created in 1913 by the damming of the Chagres River, Gatun Lake is an essential part of the Panama Canal which forms a water passage between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, permitting ship transit in both directions. At the time it was formed, Gatun Lake was the largest man-made lake in the world. The impassable rainforest around the lake has been the best defense of the Panama Canal. Today these areas remain practically unscathed by human interference and are one of the few accessible areas on earth where various native Central American animal and plant species can be observed undisturbed in their natural habitat. World famous Barro Colorado Island, which was established for scientific study when the lake was formed and is today operated by theSmithsonian Institution, is the largest island on Gatun Lake. Many of the most important groundbreaking scientific and biological discoveries of the tropical animal and plant kingdom originated here. Gatun Lake covers about 470 square kilometres (180 sq mi), a vast tropical ecological zone part of the Atlantic Forest Corridor. Ecotourism on the lake has become a worthwhile industry for Panamanians.
Gatun Lake also serves to provide the millions of gallons of water necessary to operate the Panama Canal locks each time a ship passes through, and provides drinking water for Panama City and Colón. Fishing is one of the primary recreational pursuits on Gatun Lake. Non-native peacock bass were introduced by accident to Gatun Lake around 1967[30] by a local businessman,[31] and have since flourished to become the dominant angling game fish in Gatun Lake. Locally called Sargento and believed to be the species Cichla pleiozona,[32] these peacock bass are not a native game fish of Panama but originate from the Amazon, Rio Negro, and Orinoco river basins of South America, where they are called Tucanare or Pavon and considered a premier game fish.
Lock size[edit]
Main article: Panama Canal locks
The size of the locks determines the maximum size of a ship that can pass through them. Because of the importance of the canal to international trade, many ships are built to the maximum size allowed. These are known as Panamaxvessels. A Panamax cargo ship typically has a deadweight tonnage (DWT) of 65,000–80,000 tonnes, but its actual cargo is restricted to about 52,500 tonnes because of the 12.6 m (41.2 ft) draft restrictions within the canal.[33] The longest ship ever to transit the canal was the San Juan Prospector (now Marcona Prospector), an ore-bulk-oil carrierthat is 296.57 m (973 ft) long with a beam of 32.31 m (106 ft).[34]
Initially the locks at Gatun had been designed to be 28.5 m (94 ft) wide. In 1908, the United States Navy requested that width be increased to at least 36 m (118 ft), which would allow the passage of U.S. naval ships. Eventually a compromise was made and the locks were built 33.53 m (110.0 ft) wide. Each lock is 320 m (1,050 ft) long, with the walls ranging in thickness from 15 m (49 ft) at the base to 3 m (9.8 ft) at the top. The central wall between the parallel locks at Gatun is 18 m (59 ft) thick and over 24 m (79 ft) high. The steel lock gates measure an average of 2 m (6.6 ft) thick, 19.5 m (64 ft) wide, and 20 m (66 ft) high.[35] It is the size of the locks, specifically the Pedro Miguel Locks, along with the height of the Bridge of the Americas at Balboa, that determine the Panamax metric and limit the size of ships that may use the canal.
The 2006 third set of locks project will create larger locks, allowing bigger ships to transit through deeper and wider channels. The allowed dimensions of ships will increase by 25% in length, 51% in beam, and 26% in draft, as defined by New Panamax metrics.[36]
No comments:
Post a Comment