Lake Viedma
Encyclopedia
Viedma Lake approximately 50 miles (80 kilometers) long in southern Patagonia
near the border between Chile and Argentina. It's a major elongated trough lake
formed from melting glacial ice.
The name of the lake comes from the Spanish explorer Antonio de Viedma, who in 1783 reached its shores, being the first European to do so.
The town of El Chaltén
and the Andes
peaks Cerro Torre
and Fitz-Roy lie in the proximity of Lake Viedma.
Lake Viedma is fed primarily by the Viedma Glacier at its the western end. The Viedma Glacier measures 3 miles (5 kilometers) wide at its terminus at Lake Viedma. The brown landscape is a result of ice scouring, which left virtually no vegetation on the steep-walled valleys.
Water from lake Viedma flows into Lake Argentino
through the La Leona River, and eventually from there into the Atlantic Ocean through the Santa Cruz River
.
Although most of the lake lies in Argentine territory, the western shores of the lake reach the Southern Patagonian Ice Field
in an area where the border remains undefined. Even if the Chilean territorial claims don't reach the shores, that could change as the glacial tongue in the lake melts.
Patagonia
Patagonia is a region located in Argentina and Chile, integrating the southernmost section of the Andes mountains to the southwest towards the Pacific ocean and from the east of the cordillera to the valleys it follows south through Colorado River towards Carmen de Patagones in the Atlantic Ocean...
near the border between Chile and Argentina. It's a major elongated trough lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
formed from melting glacial ice.
The name of the lake comes from the Spanish explorer Antonio de Viedma, who in 1783 reached its shores, being the first European to do so.
The town of El Chaltén
El Chaltén
El Chaltén is a small mountain village in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina. It is located in the riverside of Río de las Vueltas, within the Los Glaciares National Park at the base of Cerro Torre and Cerro Fitz Roy mountains, both popular for climbing...
and the Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
peaks Cerro Torre
Cerro Torre
Cerro Torre is one of the mountains of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field in South America. It is located in a region which is disputed between Argentina and Chile, west of Cerro Chalten . The peak is the highest in a four mountain chain: the other peaks are Torre Egger , Punta Herron, and Cerro...
and Fitz-Roy lie in the proximity of Lake Viedma.
Lake Viedma is fed primarily by the Viedma Glacier at its the western end. The Viedma Glacier measures 3 miles (5 kilometers) wide at its terminus at Lake Viedma. The brown landscape is a result of ice scouring, which left virtually no vegetation on the steep-walled valleys.
Water from lake Viedma flows into Lake Argentino
Lake Argentino
Lago Argentino is a lake in the Patagonian , at . It is the biggest freshwater lake in Argentina, with a surface area of . It has an average depth of , and a maximum depth of ....
through the La Leona River, and eventually from there into the Atlantic Ocean through the Santa Cruz River
Santa Cruz River (Argentina)
Santa Cruz River is a river from the Argentine province of Santa Cruz.The Santa Cruz begins at the shore of the Viedma and Argentino Lakes, of glacial origin and located in the Los Glaciares National Park, and runs eastwards before reaching the Atlantic Coast, north of the southern tip of South...
.
Although most of the lake lies in Argentine territory, the western shores of the lake reach the Southern Patagonian Ice Field
Southern Patagonian Ice Field
The Southern Patagonian Ice Field , located at the Southern Patagonic Andes between Argentina and Chile, is the second largest contiguous extrapolar extent of ice in the world...
in an area where the border remains undefined. Even if the Chilean territorial claims don't reach the shores, that could change as the glacial tongue in the lake melts.