Lácar Lake
Encyclopedia
The Lácar Lake is a lake
of glacial
origin in the . It is enclosed in a mountain range of the Andes
, at 630 m above mean sea level
, approximately at 40°11′S 71°32′W. The area around the lake is mostly uninhabited, except for the small city of San Martín de los Andes
on its northeastern coast.
The lake has a surface area of 55 km² and a mean depth of 167 m, with a maximum of 277 m. Its catchment basin
comprises 1,048 km². Like many Andean Argentine lakes, it drains across Chile
and into the Pacific Ocean
, in this case via the Huahum River
that flows through Huahum Pass
in the Andes.
As the northernmost lake on the eastern side of Andes that drains to the Pacific the lake and his catchment basin was claimed by Chile until 1902 based on an interpretation of the Boundary treaty of 1881 between Chile and Argentina.
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,...
of glacial
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
origin in the . It is enclosed in a mountain range of 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...
, at 630 m above mean sea level
Above mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
, approximately at 40°11′S 71°32′W. The area around the lake is mostly uninhabited, except for the small city of San Martín de los Andes
San Martín de los Andes
-References:* - Official website.-External links:*...
on its northeastern coast.
The lake has a surface area of 55 km² and a mean depth of 167 m, with a maximum of 277 m. Its catchment basin
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
comprises 1,048 km². Like many Andean Argentine lakes, it drains across Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
and into the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
, in this case via the Huahum River
Huahum River
The Huahum River or Río Huahum, as it is known locally, is a river in southern Chile and Argentina. It drains the waters of Lácar Lake in Argentina to Pirihueico Lake in Chile. The river gives name to Huahum Pass, an international mountain pass on the border between Chile and Argentina....
that flows through Huahum Pass
Huahum Pass
Huahum Pass is an international mountain pass in the Andes between Chile and Argentina. The pass takes its name from the Huahum River that flows from Argentina into Chile at the site of the border crossing. Even though the pass does not go through the continental divide, it crosses the highest...
in the Andes.
As the northernmost lake on the eastern side of Andes that drains to the Pacific the lake and his catchment basin was claimed by Chile until 1902 based on an interpretation of the Boundary treaty of 1881 between Chile and Argentina.