Lake O'Higgins
| O'Higgins/San Martín Lake | |
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Bernardo O'Higgins Lake in the Aysén Region
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| Location | O'Higgins Commune, Capitán Prat Province, Aysén del General Carlos Ibáñez del Campo Region, Chile / Lago Argentino Department, Santa Cruz Province, Argentina |
| Coordinates | 48°50′S 72°36′W / 48.833°S 72.600°WCoordinates: 48°50′S 72°36′W / 48.833°S 72.600°W |
| Primary inflows | Mayer River |
| Primary outflows | Pascua River |
| Basin countries | Argentina, Chile |
| Surface area | 1,013 km2 (391 sq mi) |
| Max. depth | 836 m (2,743 ft) |
| Shore length1 | 525 km (326 mi) |
| Surface elevation | 250 m (820 ft) |
| Sections/sub-basins | Cancha Rayada, Chacabuco, Maipú, De la Lancha |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
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The lake known as O'Higgins in Chile and San Martín in Argentina is located around coordinates 48°50′S 72°36′W / 48.833°S 72.600°W in Patagonia, between the Aysén del General Carlos Ibáñez del Campo Region and the Santa Cruz Province.
It has a surface area of 1,013 square kilometres (391 sq mi), an elevation of 250 metres (820 ft) above mean sea level, and a shoreline length of 525 kilometres (326 mi). Viewed from above, the lake consists of a series of finger-shaped flooded valleys, of which 554 square kilometres (214 sq mi) are in Chile and 459 square kilometres (177 sq mi) in Argentina, although sources differ on the precise split, presumably reflecting water level variability. The lake is the deepest in the Americas with a maximum depth of 836 metres (2,743 ft) near O'Higgins Glacier, and its characteristic milky light-blue color comes from rock flour suspended in its waters. It is mainly fed by the Mayer River and other streams, and its outlet, the Pascua River, discharges water from the lake towards the Pacific Ocean at a rate of 510 cubic metres (18,000 cu ft)/s. The O'Higgins Glacier flows eastwards towards the lake, as does the Chico Glacier. Both of these glaciers are part of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field which extends for approximately 350 kilometres (220 mi) in a north-south direction to the west of Lake O'Higgins.
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Wikipedia