# Initials carved by bulldozer in Alaskan tundra? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 14, 2010, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/initials-carved-by-bulldozer-in-alaskan-tundra/564073 "2010-12-14T02:40:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pharman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/90ced4/32.png) [@pharman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pharman)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/initials-carved-by-bulldozer-in-alaskan-tundra/564073/1 "2010-12-14T02:40:37Z")
In 1965, a bulldozer operator carved the initials of the company he worked for into the tundra. The letters were apparently 20 feet thick and 300 feet tall. I guess they were to direct bush pilots to the camp. A picture can be seen here: [http://www.fws.gov/digitalmedia/cdm4/item\_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/natdiglib&CISOPTR=6035&CISOBOX=1&REC=17](http://www.fws.gov/digitalmedia/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/natdiglib&CISOPTR=6035&CISOBOX=1&REC=17) (GSI is Geophysical Services, Inc.) Reports of the size vary wildly, ranging from “360 square feet” to something like “3000” feet long. The letters were carved “near the western bank of the Canning River” said to be about 50 miles east of Prudhoe Bay Alaska. Reports about the incident, as well as the aerial photo, are easy enough to find online. What I’m curious about, though, is where those letters are today. Because the activity disturbed the tundra vegetation and the permafrost, the bulldozed letters apparently turned into 10 foot deep ponds. Many of the sources indicate that they would be visible for “generations to come.” I just spent about an hour on google earth looking for them, and haven’t been able to find them. Does anyone know where they are, or have a better idea of where they might be located along the Canning River? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/initials-carved-by-bulldozer-in-alaskan-tundra/564073/2 "2010-12-14T03:10:25Z")
It’s probably at Point Thompson, which is an area that Exxon acquired oil leases for. It’s possible that the graded area was built over by camp or drilling facilities. ---
**Author:** ![pharman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/90ced4/32.png) [@pharman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pharman)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/initials-carved-by-bulldozer-in-alaskan-tundra/564073/3 "2010-12-14T04:04:22Z")
That makes sense. I’m wondering if it’s the rectangular lake and disturbed area at 70 deg. 08’ 09’ N, 146 15’ 07’ W. (Just south of Thompson Point) It looks like the line from the arrow might still be visible. I found a version of the photo that shows more too: [http://www.blm.gov/photos/netpub/server.np?preview=81452&site=BLM&catalog=catalog](http://www.blm.gov/photos/netpub/server.np?preview=81452&site=BLM&catalog=catalog) If I had to guess, based on the snow banks, I’d say the photo’s taken looking south. It’s hard to discern the topography though - tough to match it to google earth. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/initials-carved-by-bulldozer-in-alaskan-tundra/564073/4 "2010-12-14T06:14:45Z")
> [@pharman](#): > > That makes sense. I’m wondering if it’s the rectangular lake and disturbed area at 70 deg. 08’ 09’ N, 146 15’ 07’ W. Isn’t that well to the east of Canning River? ---
**Author:** ![pharman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/90ced4/32.png) [@pharman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pharman)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/initials-carved-by-bulldozer-in-alaskan-tundra/564073/5 "2010-12-14T06:25:19Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Isn’t that well to the east of Canning River? No, the Canning River is about 15 miles east of that spot (per google earth’s marker for the mouth). I dug up an aerial photo from the USGS from 1955 (that i don’t know how to link to) where that rectangle is clearly NOT visible and one from 1979 that isn’t clear. I can’t find free historical aerial photos online, the ones I found cost money to order full resolution. ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/initials-carved-by-bulldozer-in-alaskan-tundra/564073/6 "2010-12-14T06:35:40Z")
What about this funny looking series of ponds: [Google Maps](http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=h&ll=69.39675,-146.18906&spn=0.026941,0.109692&z=13) The photo data mentions its near the Smith Mountains. I can’t figure out where those are exactly (there appears to be some Phillip Smith Mountains somewhere in the Brooks Range). If they were doing exploration in those mountains (which they were for hardrock), the spot by that funny little body of water looks like about the nearest flat spot you could get an airplane into. ---
**Author:** ![pharman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/90ced4/32.png) [@pharman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pharman)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/initials-carved-by-bulldozer-in-alaskan-tundra/564073/7 "2010-12-14T06:49:01Z")
> [@GreasyJack](#): > > What about this funny looking series of ponds: [Google Maps](http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=h&ll=69.39675,-146.18906&spn=0.026941,0.109692&z=13) Those look interesting, but are visible in a 1955 photo: [http://edcsns17.cr.usgs.gov/cgi-bin/EarthExplorer/show\_browse.pl?browse\_url=http%3A//edcsns17.cr.usgs.gov/cgi-bin/browse/browse%3Fdebug%3D1%26ds\_id%3Daircraft%26ds\_path%3Dphoenix/aerial/8CBL/8CBL10052/8CBL10052\_057.jpg&title=\\ARBM00350607187\%3A%20Aerial%20Photo%20Single%20Frames%20search%20results%2C%20Preview%20Image\&title1=\\ARBM00350607187\%3A%20Aerial%20Photo%20Single%20Frames%20search%20results%2C%20Preview%20Image\&form\_cseq=3073](http://edcsns17.cr.usgs.gov/cgi-bin/EarthExplorer/show_browse.pl?browse_url=http%3A//edcsns17.cr.usgs.gov/cgi-bin/browse/browse%3Fdebug%3D1%26ds_id%3Daircraft%26ds_path%3Dphoenix/aerial/8CBL/8CBL10052/8CBL10052_057.jpg&title=%3Cspan%3E%3Cstrong%3EARBM00350607187%3C/strong%3E%3A%20Aerial%20Photo%20Single%20Frames%20search%20results%2C%20Preview%20Image%3C/span%3E&title1=%3Cspan%3E%3Cstrong%3EARBM00350607187%3C/strong%3E%3A%20Aerial%20Photo%20Single%20Frames%20search%20results%2C%20Preview%20Image%3C/span%3E&form_cseq=3073) (figured out the link) ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/initials-carved-by-bulldozer-in-alaskan-tundra/564073/8 "2010-12-14T07:10:31Z")
Ok, I see the river now. The only interesting feature I could find near the west bank were some perpendicular lines that appear to be man made roads or other scars on the tundra at 69°49’41.75 N, 146°28’31.05" W. Unfortunately, they lead into some low-res areas that don’t show much detail. I found [this in Google Books](http://books.google.com/books?id=ZRw36ZBX8s8C&pg=PA194&dq=%22geophysical+services+inc.%22+%22canning+river%22&hl=en&ei=fBEHTaqGB4O78gbnqLiWCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCkQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22geophysical%20services%20inc.%22%20%22canning%20river%22&f=false), which describes the letters as 150 yards high. ---
**Author:** ![pharman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/90ced4/32.png) [@pharman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pharman)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/initials-carved-by-bulldozer-in-alaskan-tundra/564073/9 "2010-12-14T07:24:17Z")
If you type “gsi” and “canning river” (or other variations) into google books, some information is visible, but none of the full text. A caption for a [not visible] picture says that the river in the foreground is the Canning River, the letters are also described as 80 feet tall, and the site is described as 50 miles from Prudhoe Bay and 15 miles inland from the Beaufort Sea. It looks like the incident was mentioned in some Congressional hearings, but I can’t get text for those, unless I get into some microfiche at school, which I’m not about to do. ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/initials-carved-by-bulldozer-in-alaskan-tundra/564073/10 "2010-12-14T07:32:27Z")
If someone could find a hard copy of the book **Fear Itself** linked, there is a citation for that paragraph (the citations aren’t in the preview, though). Maybe it says something. I wonder though if it was so controversial, maybe they sent another bulldozer out to fix it, at least to the point that it ceased to be an eyesore from the air. Or maybe make a rectangular lake out of it? ---
**Author:** ![awing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea5d25/32.png) [@awing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/awing)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/initials-carved-by-bulldozer-in-alaskan-tundra/564073/11 "2014-06-02T23:40:35Z")
This sucked up a lot of time today, but I found them by orienting the spur river off of the old photo vs the canning river in google earth GSI Tundra Scar Letters, still viewable decades later: 69 46’50.94N 146 25’36.39"W 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/initials-carved-by-bulldozer-in-alaskan-tundra/564073/12 "2014-06-02T23:57:34Z")
> [@awing](#): > > GSI Tundra Scar Letters, still viewable decades later: 69 46’50.94N 146 25’36.39"W 🙂 Still not seeing them. Link? ---
**Author:** ![awing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea5d25/32.png) [@awing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/awing)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2014, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/initials-carved-by-bulldozer-in-alaskan-tundra/564073/13 "2014-06-03T00:05:18Z")
The point of the arrow is at 69_46’47.65"N 146_25’14.66" and the arrow points to the southeast ---
**Author:** ![awing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea5d25/32.png) [@awing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/awing)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2014, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/initials-carved-by-bulldozer-in-alaskan-tundra/564073/14 "2014-06-03T00:20:15Z")
[![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-KGnuvibYXtA/U40UZ9bHzOI/AAAAAAAAAM0/9IdDeoxk-kw/w506-h347/GSI+Letters.jpg) ](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-KGnuvibYXtA/U40UZ9bHzOI/AAAAAAAAAM0/9IdDeoxk-kw/w506-h347/GSI+Letters.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2014, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/initials-carved-by-bulldozer-in-alaskan-tundra/564073/15 "2014-06-03T00:21:00Z")
> [@awing](#): > > The point of the arrow is at 69_46’47.65"N 146_25’14.66" and the arrow points to the southeast OK, I can just barely make out the S. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2014, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/initials-carved-by-bulldozer-in-alaskan-tundra/564073/16 "2014-06-03T04:04:03Z")
> [@awing](#): > > [https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-KGnuvibYXtA/U40UZ9bHzOI/AAAAAAAAAM0/9IdDeoxk-kw/w506-h347/GSI+Letters.jpg](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-KGnuvibYXtA/U40UZ9bHzOI/AAAAAAAAAM0/9IdDeoxk-kw/w506-h347/GSI+Letters.jpg) I can see it. All 3 letters. They look pretty big but skinny. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2014, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/initials-carved-by-bulldozer-in-alaskan-tundra/564073/17 "2014-06-03T09:16:50Z")
Here’s [another one](http://www.satellite-sightseer.com/id/12288/Australia/Western_Australia/Caiguna/Readymix_Logo_Carved_in_Nullarbor_Plain) It’s near faded away now, but it’s not doing too badly considering it’s nearly fifty years old. [Some background info](http://saforeveryone.com.au/city/ceduna/public-art-art-culture/nullarbor-readymix-logo/) > [@](#): > > The diamond shape measures 3.2km across by 1.6km high. Inside the diamond, the word ‘Readymix’ was listed in the Guiness book of records between 1972-1992 as the largest lettering in the world, with interest being revived in it with the advent of satellite imaging. > > The logo also appeared in the Guinness Book of Records between 1972 and 1991, first as the world’s largest advertising sign and, later, as the world’s largest letters. (click second link for full text) ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2014, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/initials-carved-by-bulldozer-in-alaskan-tundra/564073/18 "2014-06-03T13:16:20Z")
And that’s what makes da Dope da dope. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2014, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/initials-carved-by-bulldozer-in-alaskan-tundra/564073/19 "2014-06-03T13:47:49Z")
> [@pharman](#): > > Those look interesting, but are visible in a 1955 photo: > > [http://edcsns17.cr.usgs.gov/cgi-bin/EarthExplorer/show\_browse.pl?browse\_url=http%3A//edcsns17.cr.usgs.gov/cgi-bin/browse/browse%3Fdebug%3D1%26ds\_id%3Daircraft%26ds\_path%3Dphoenix/aerial/8CBL/8CBL10052/8CBL10052\_057.jpg&title=\\ARBM00350607187\%3A%20Aerial%20Photo%20Single%20Frames%20search%20results%2C%20Preview%20Image\&title1=\\ARBM00350607187\%3A%20Aerial%20Photo%20Single%20Frames%20search%20results%2C%20Preview%20Image\&form\_cseq=3073](http://edcsns17.cr.usgs.gov/cgi-bin/EarthExplorer/show_browse.pl?browse_url=http%3A//edcsns17.cr.usgs.gov/cgi-bin/browse/browse%3Fdebug%3D1%26ds_id%3Daircraft%26ds_path%3Dphoenix/aerial/8CBL/8CBL10052/8CBL10052_057.jpg&title=%3Cspan%3E%3Cstrong%3EARBM00350607187%3C/strong%3E%3A%20Aerial%20Photo%20Single%20Frames%20search%20results%2C%20Preview%20Image%3C/span%3E&title1=%3Cspan%3E%3Cstrong%3EARBM00350607187%3C/strong%3E%3A%20Aerial%20Photo%20Single%20Frames%20search%20results%2C%20Preview%20Image%3C/span%3E&form_cseq=3073) > > (figured out the link) Three and a half years on, the link is no longer good. Anyone have a good link? ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2014, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/initials-carved-by-bulldozer-in-alaskan-tundra/564073/20 "2014-06-03T14:10:44Z")
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