Viedma Lake

Viedma Lake
Lago Viedma (Spanish)
from space, October 1994
Viedma Lake Viedma Lake Viedma Lake
Location	Lago Argentino Department, Santa Cruz Province (Argentina)
Coordinates	49°35′S 72°30′W
Type	periglacial lake
Primary inflows	Viedma Glacier
Primary outflows	La Leona River
Catchment area	7,342 km2 (2,835 sq mi)
Basin countries	Argentina
Max. length	80 km (50 mi)
Max. width	15 km (9.3 mi)
Surface area	1,193 km2 (461 sq mi)
Average depth	100 m (330 ft)
Max. depth	ca. 900 m (3,000 ft)
Water volume	119 km3 (29 cu mi)
Shore length1	291 km (181 mi)
Surface elevation	252 m (827 ft)
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Viedma Lake (Spanish: Lago Viedma, Spanish pronunciation: [laɣo ˈβjeðma]) is a Patagonian lake in the province of Santa Cruz, Argentina, situated near its border with Chile. Measuring approximately 50 miles (80 kilometers) in length, it is a major elongated trough lake formed from melting glacial ice. Viedma Lake is the second largest perennial lake located entirely within Argentina.

An iceberg floating in Lake Viedma.

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 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 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.

See also

• Lake San Martín
• Lake Argentino