Miraflores Locks, Panama Canal
On Saturday last weekend my work mates took me to the Miraflores locks of the Panama Canal.
Let me give a short introduction first: Panama City lies on the shortest path (77 km) across the isthmus of panama. The canal consists of 2 artificial lakes which are higher than sea level. Due to that a lock system is needed which lifts the ships up to that higher lake level at the entrance and lowers them on the other side. 3 locks exist: Miraflores locks (where we've been) with a height difference of 16.5m, the Pedro Miguel lock (9.5m) and the Gatún locks (back down to sea level). The artificial lake between Miraflores locks and the Pedro Miguel lock is called Miraflores lake, and the lake between Pedro Miguel lock and the Gatún locks is called Gatún lake.
We visited the Miraflores locks, which consists of three chambers. Each chamber has two large gates. The pictures (see also the Gallery) show the case where a ship is lowered from the Miraflores lake to the sea level of the Panama Bay (Pacific Ocean). The ship enters the first chamber, the gates behind are closed. Afterwards the water of the first chamber runs into the second chamber until the have the same water level. The gates in front of the ship are opened, the ship is pulled by locomotives into the next chamber. The gates behind the ship are closed, and the water is released to the next chamber until they have the same level. After opening the gates, the ship is pulled to the next chamber, gates closing, water is released and so on, until the sea level is reached.
Thats it... the Panama Canal is according to Wikipedia (deutsch), one of the largest engineering projects ever undertaken.
Let me give a short introduction first: Panama City lies on the shortest path (77 km) across the isthmus of panama. The canal consists of 2 artificial lakes which are higher than sea level. Due to that a lock system is needed which lifts the ships up to that higher lake level at the entrance and lowers them on the other side. 3 locks exist: Miraflores locks (where we've been) with a height difference of 16.5m, the Pedro Miguel lock (9.5m) and the Gatún locks (back down to sea level). The artificial lake between Miraflores locks and the Pedro Miguel lock is called Miraflores lake, and the lake between Pedro Miguel lock and the Gatún locks is called Gatún lake.
We visited the Miraflores locks, which consists of three chambers. Each chamber has two large gates. The pictures (see also the Gallery) show the case where a ship is lowered from the Miraflores lake to the sea level of the Panama Bay (Pacific Ocean). The ship enters the first chamber, the gates behind are closed. Afterwards the water of the first chamber runs into the second chamber until the have the same water level. The gates in front of the ship are opened, the ship is pulled by locomotives into the next chamber. The gates behind the ship are closed, and the water is released to the next chamber until they have the same level. After opening the gates, the ship is pulled to the next chamber, gates closing, water is released and so on, until the sea level is reached.
Thats it... the Panama Canal is according to Wikipedia (deutsch), one of the largest engineering projects ever undertaken.
posted by Martin Loitzl at 06:41
1 Comments:
Thanks for EXCELLENT explanation of why locks are needed (the 2 artificial lakes). Searching a guidebook on Panama and McCullough's "Path Between the Seas" yeilded no coherent explanation. Lord willing, we see the Atlantic locks in early 2/07.
Post a Comment
<< Home