Hi! My name is Tutangiaq (Too-tang-geye-ack), but math lovers can call me 2T. I am a Canada Goose, or Branta canadensis for the scientists out there.
Each summer I travel across Alaska. Some people think that Alaska is part of Canada but that's not true (more information 1.1). I love Alaska and the people that live there. In fact, they gave me my name!
I hatched on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta in southwestern Alaska, and was given the name "Tutangiaq." It means "Cackling" in Central Yupiq (more information 1.2). I have no idea why they gave me this name.
I have flown across Alaska so many times, and, being high up in the sky, I have gotten a unique perspective. Come join me to explore this remote state! (Satellite image mosaic of Alaska - more information 1.3)
More information 1.1:
The truth about Alaska is out there ...
Alaskans do not live in igloos.
Dog mushing is primarily a sport now and not a method of transportation.
In central and northern Alaska, the winter days are dark, while summer
days can be continually light.
Alaska is by far the largest state in the Union. It is more than twice
the size of Texas.
Alaska is the northernmost, the westernmost, and the easternmost state
(the Aleutian Islands stretch across the International Date Line).
The record low temperature in Alaska is -80 degrees F (-62 degrees C), and the record
high temperature is 100 degrees F (38 degrees C).
More information 1.2:
(Map of Alaska showing the spatial distribution of native
Alaskan languages) Native Alaskan languages vary all over the state from Inupiaq
on the North Slope and Seward Peninsula to Tlingit along the southeastern panhandle.
More information 1.3:
Satellite image mosaic of Alaska. This picture of Alaska
is not just one snap shot taken from space. It is in fact a mosaic of hundreds
of smaller scenes. Each individual scene is about 183 km by 170 km. The scene
is acquired by the 'Enhanced Thematic Mapper' (ETM) sensors. These sensors are
onboard a NASA Earth Observation satellite called Landsat. (Check out the Landsat
website for more information.)
The ETM has sensors that operate in different wavelength bands. These sensors
record energy that is reflected from the Earth's surface. Different objects
on the Earth's surface reflect different amounts of energy. Consequently, the
information recorded by the sensors reveals the type of materials on the Earth's
surface. This image mosaic was generated by the Earthsat Company. The image
uses a combination of the six reflective bands. This provides a pleasing natural
color for the surface.