A video released from the US Coast Guard shows how one of its vessels travels through the Panama Canal. The Canal is a complex system that utilizes an artificial lake to help ships traverse between the Continental divide. Following is a transcript of the video.
The Panama Canal is an engineering marvel. About 14,000 ships use it every year. The canal is about 48 miles long. It functions as a waterway between North and South America. The canal connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans
Before the canal, ships had to sail 13,000 miles around the tip of South America An artificial lake across Panama connects the oceans. The Gatun Lake is 85 feet above sea level. How do the ships get raised and lowered?
The canal has a water lock system that acts like a massive elevator. When ships enter the locks, they’re raised by water from the lake. Each lock raises the ships until they’re 85 feet above sea level. They then travel across Gatun Lake.
The ship is then lowered by the locks to sea level. On average, it takes 8 hours for ships to cross the canal.
————————————————–
BI Video on :
BI on :
Read more:
————————————————–
Business Insider is the fastest growing business news site in the US. Our mission: to tell you all you need to know about the big world around you. The BI Video team focuses on technology, strategy and science with an emphasis on unique storytelling and data that appeals to the next generation of leaders – the digital generation.
