Argentino Lake

Largest lake in Argentina

The Lago Argentino is a lake of about three times the size of Lake Constance in southern Argentina, the province of Santa Cruz ( Patagonia). It is the largest lake in Argentina and more than 15,000 years old. It is fed by several glaciers, including the largest glaciers of South America, the Upsala glacier, and the best known, the Perito Moreno Glacier. The lake drained by the Río Santa Cruz in the Atlantic.

Glacier

The western end of the rapidly branched lake extends to the Andes. The glaciers of the Southern Ice Field open at several places in the lake.

The world-famous Perito Moreno Glacier, break away from its approximately 50 -meter-high glacier front huge icebergs in the lake. In some years, the glacier tongue splits from one part of the lake. Then the partial jamming on until the pressure of the water masses is too large and the glacier tongue in a wild spectacle bursts ( last March 2012). The lake is part of the National Park Los Glaciares.

Location

The east side of the lake is lost in the vast plains of the pampas.

Most important city on the lake shore is El Calafate, the inhabitants live off the tourists who want to visit the calving glacier.

He is between the ages of 50 and 51 degrees south latitude and 72 and 73 longitude.

History

The Lago Argentino was discovered by Valentin Filberg sailor who came to the lake in 1873. However, he held it for the Lago Viedma, which was nearly 100 years earlier discovered. On February 15, 1877 Perito Moreno and Carlos Moyano came to the lake. Moreno, the namesake of the glacier of the same name, gave him the name " Lago Argentino ".