Sunday, December 21, 2008

Saltos del Petrohue, Chile

A really nice card coming from Chile...

It shows Saltos del Petrohué (or in English, it would be the Petrohué Waterfalls). Its a chute-type waterfall in the upper reach of Petrohué River in Chile.
The waterfall is supported by basaltic lava (andesite) stemming from the Osorno volcano that sits in between lake Todos los Santos and Lake Llanquihue. The average water flow of these falls is of 270 m3 per second, but it can be much larger during the rainy season when the surface level of lake Todos los Santos rises by up to 3 meters. The water, decanted in the lake, is usually clear with a green hue; however, occasionally, when lahars descending from the volcano are active, water at the falls can be loaded with sand and silt. Transport of these abrasive materials explains the polished aspect of the rocks.

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