Red Dog Mine, Alaska facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Red Dog Mine, Alaska
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Location in Northwest Arctic Borough and the state of Alaska.
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| Country | United States |
| State | Alaska |
| Borough | Northwest Arctic |
| Area | |
| • Total | 68.85 sq mi (178.33 km2) |
| • Land | 68.85 sq mi (178.33 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 853 ft (260 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 5 |
| • Density | 0.07/sq mi (0.03/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−9 (Alaska (AKST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−8 (AKDT) |
| Area code(s) | 907 |
| FIPS code | 02-64980 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1865564 |
| Website | www.reddogalaska.com |
Red Dog Mine is a special area in Alaska that is mainly known for its large mine. It is located in the Northwest Arctic Borough. Even though it's a very important place for mining, only a few people live there. In 2020, just 5 people were counted as living in the area.
Contents
About Red Dog Mine
The Red Dog Mine is the biggest source of zinc in the United States. It also produces a lot of lead and a rare metal called germanium. Building the mine started in 1987 after people discovered that the ground in this area was very rich in these metals.
Mining for Metals
The Red Dog Mine holds one of the world's largest deposits of zinc. This means there's a huge amount of zinc ore buried there. The mine is found in the DeLong Mountains, which are part of the western Brooks Range in Alaska. It is about 90 miles (145 km) north of Kotzebue and 55 miles (88 km) from the Chukchi Sea.
At the end of 2007, the mine had about 77.5 million tons of proven and likely reserves. These reserves contained 17.5 percent zinc and 4.8 percent lead. They also had silver. The entire metal deposit is in a fairly small area, about one mile by half a mile. Since the ore is close to the surface, miners use an "open pit" method to dig it out. This means they dig a large hole in the ground to reach the metals.
Where is Red Dog Mine Located?
Red Dog Mine is in a very remote part of Alaska. It's in the DeLong Mountains, which are part of the western Brooks Range. The nearest towns are Noatak, about 50 miles (80 km) south, and Kivalina, about 60 miles (97 km) west.
The Northwest Arctic Borough, where the mine is, is a huge area. It's about the size of Indiana but has only 11 small communities. None of these communities are connected by roads. The total population of this large area was only 7,523 people in 2010.
While local people used to gather food in this area, no one lives permanently at the mine or its port. The mine employs about 460 workers and contractors. More than half of them are usually on-site at any time. Most workers stay in a large housing unit right at the mine. A smaller group stays at the port. The total area of Red Dog Mine is about 66.9 square miles (173.3 square kilometers), and it's all land.
Weather at the Mine
Red Dog Mine has a subarctic climate. This means it has very cold and long winters, but warm and short summers. June and July are the warmest months, with average temperatures usually above 50°F (10°C).
In the middle of summer, daytime temperatures are around 61°F (16°C). In winter, nighttime temperatures average around 0°F (-18°C). Each year, there are about 13 days where temperatures reach 70°F (21°C) or higher in summer. In winter, there are about 76 days where temperatures drop below 0°F (-18°C). The coldest temperature ever recorded was -43°F (-41.7°C) in February 2012. The hottest was 87°F (30.6°C) in June 2013.
| Climate data for Red Dog Mine, Alaska (2006–2020 normals, extremes 2010–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 47 (8) |
38 (3) |
37 (3) |
52 (11) |
80 (27) |
87 (31) |
85 (29) |
84 (29) |
65 (18) |
60 (16) |
41 (5) |
39 (4) |
87 (31) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 11.7 (−11.3) |
13.0 (−10.6) |
13.3 (−10.4) |
26.4 (−3.1) |
44.8 (7.1) |
61.0 (16.1) |
61.4 (16.3) |
55.7 (13.2) |
45.6 (7.6) |
31.5 (−0.3) |
18.4 (−7.6) |
11.7 (−11.3) |
32.9 (0.5) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 5.6 (−14.7) |
6.2 (−14.3) |
6.6 (−14.1) |
19.8 (−6.8) |
37.1 (2.8) |
51.0 (10.6) |
53.1 (11.7) |
48.5 (9.2) |
39.1 (3.9) |
26.6 (−3.0) |
13.1 (−10.5) |
5.6 (−14.7) |
26.0 (−3.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | −0.5 (−18.1) |
−0.6 (−18.1) |
−0.1 (−17.8) |
13.2 (−10.4) |
29.4 (−1.4) |
40.9 (4.9) |
44.8 (7.1) |
41.2 (5.1) |
32.6 (0.3) |
21.7 (−5.7) |
7.8 (−13.4) |
−0.5 (−18.1) |
19.2 (−7.1) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −41 (−41) |
−43 (−42) |
−30 (−34) |
−26 (−32) |
−1 (−18) |
23 (−5) |
28 (−2) |
21 (−6) |
13 (−11) |
1 (−17) |
−19 (−28) |
−28 (−33) |
−43 (−42) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 1.11 (28) |
0.57 (14) |
1.92 (49) |
0.31 (7.9) |
1.54 (39) |
1.76 (45) |
4.16 (106) |
4.74 (120) |
2.38 (60) |
1.61 (41) |
0.70 (18) |
0.79 (20) |
21.59 (548) |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Population Changes
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 2000 | 32 | — | |
| 2010 | 309 | 865.6% | |
| 2020 | 5 | −98.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Red Dog Mine was first listed as a census-designated place (CDP) in the year 2000. In 2000, 32 people lived there. By 2010, the population grew to 309 people. However, in 2020, the population dropped significantly to just 5 people.
Getting Around
A 55-mile (88 km) long road connects the mine pit to a seaport on the Chukchi Sea. Trucks carry concentrated lead and zinc powder from the mine to a storage area near the port all year round. However, ships can only reach the pier for about 100 days a year. This is because the sea is frozen with ice for the rest of the year.
When the sea is frozen, the area can only be reached by air. The Red Dog Airport serves the mine. Mine workers from nearby villages fly to the mine on small planes. Alaska Airlines also flies other mine workers from Anchorage to the mine.
See also
In Spanish: Red Dog Mine (Alaska) para niños
