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Friday, January 28, 2022

Alaska-Sized Perspective

akgeog2

Here in Alaska, we always get calls from concerned relatives when they hear about tsunami warnings, or earthquakes, or volcanic eruptions in Alaska. And if we had relatives in Delaware when a natural even such as those occurred, you can bet we’d be on the blower in a flat second to find out if they were alright.

But, here’s something to put all your Alaskan news into a little perspective. These maps pop up on Facebook every now and then, but I still find them fascinating. Even living here, you tend to lose perspective sometimes.

So, if Alaska were superimposed on the Lower 48 states, as in this image, then:

The Aleutian Islands end in San Francisco.
The pan handle ends in Jacksonville, Florida.
The state capital is in Georgia.
The University system is centered in Iowa.
The largest city is in Missouri.
The proposed Pebble Mine project is in Oklahoma.
Oil production happens in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
The Iditarod starts in Missouri, and ends in South Dakota.
The Shell Oil rig Kulluk is grounded near Tulsa.
The recent earthquake happened in Tennessee.
The Alaskan Yukon starts in Illinois and reaches the sea in Colorado.
And you can see Russia from Wyoming.

Comments

comments

Comments
8 Responses to “Alaska-Sized Perspective”
  1. NickWI says:

    Alaska covers 663268 miles, including water, which would put it 18th in the world if it were independent, just slightly smaller than Libya, it would be the 4th largest country in North america, third largest in South america,second largest in Europe, 4th largest in Asia, and 5th largest in Africa. really puts things in perspective. of that huge area about 70% is owned by the feds, in a variety of national parks, monuments and wildlife refuges.

  2. Ben in SF says:

    Well that’s cool. San Francisco’s high peaks (Twin Peaks, Mt. Sutro, Mt. Davidson) plus nearby San Bruno and Montara Mountains, happen to be at the southern edge of the range for Nutka reed grass (Nootka if you prefer).
    It sensibly grows on shady north-facing slopes in coastal scrub and chaparral, in the fog zone, and it’s one of our lovelier native grasses.

  3. mike from iowa says:

    Being at the center of it all,I feel somehow vindicated. Aw shucks.

  4. Great map. Great explanation.

    Quibble: the epicenter of the earthquake was in eastern Alabama, not far from the Georgia line – 65 miles west of Craig, on Prince of Wale Island.

    /WC

  5. thatcrowwoman says:

    Gobsmacked.
    Those stacked maps are fascinating and the If:Then leaves me boggle-minded,
    sitting here with a big goofy grin on my face.

    I feel a lesson plan percolating
    with maps and synonyms for Big and…
    oh, the places we can go.

    Thanks some more, AKM.
    thatcrowwoman

  6. slipstream says:

    Wait . . . I thought Alaska was a small island off the south coast of Arizona? That’s how it is depicted in weather maps . . .

    • COalmostNative says:

      *snicker* On some weather maps, Alaska and Hawaii are BFFs with Baja California… perhaps on FOX, which Mr. CO likes to watch 😉

  7. David Otness says:

    You can actually see Russia from South Dakota too at the Diomedes and New Zealand is 7,000 nautical miles directly south of Attu Island (San Francisco).