San Pedro de Inacaliri River
Encyclopedia
San Pedro de Inacaliri River, or called simply San Pedro River, is a river of Chile located in El Loa Province
, Antofagasta Region
. It begins at the confluence of the rivers Silala
and Cajón, at an elevation over 4,000 m asl.
A part of its flow is diverted (between 50 and 60 l/s) and conducted across the desert to Chuquicamata
for domestic water supply. About 8 km south, the waters of the river disappear in a floodplain area to reappear 15 km downstream at the so-called Ojos del San Pedro in the form of a partially overground stream, at the eastern border of a salt flat with a surface of 5 km².
Before discharging into Loa River
, the river skirts the San Pedro
volcano, where it has carved a 100-m-deep canyon through a rhyolite
lava flow.
El Loa Province
El Loa Province is one of three provinces of the northern Chilean region of Antofagasta . It is named after the longest of rivers in Chile, the Loa River...
, Antofagasta Region
Antofagasta Region
The II Antofagasta Region is one of Chile's fifteen first-order administrative divisions. It comprises three provinces, Antofagasta, El Loa and Tocopilla...
. It begins at the confluence of the rivers Silala
Silala River
The Silala River or Silala Spring is a river which rises in Bolivia and flows into Chile. It is a tributary of the San Pedro de Inacaliri River.-References:*...
and Cajón, at an elevation over 4,000 m asl.
A part of its flow is diverted (between 50 and 60 l/s) and conducted across the desert to Chuquicamata
Chuquicamata
Chuquicamata, or "Chuqui" as it is more familiarly known, is by digged volume the biggest open pit copper mine in the world, located in the north of Chile, 215 km northeast of Antofagasta and 1,240 km north of the capital, Santiago...
for domestic water supply. About 8 km south, the waters of the river disappear in a floodplain area to reappear 15 km downstream at the so-called Ojos del San Pedro in the form of a partially overground stream, at the eastern border of a salt flat with a surface of 5 km².
Before discharging into Loa River
Loa River
The Loa River is a U-shaped river in Chile's northern Antofagasta Region. At 440 km long it is the country's longest river and the main watercourse in the Atacama Desert.-Course:...
, the river skirts the San Pedro
San Pedro (Chile volcano)
San Pedro is one of the tallest active volcanoes in the world. It is located on the edge of the Atacama Desert, in Chile. San Pablo volcano is its neighbor to the east and from which is connected by a high saddle. Cerro Paniri volcano lies on the opposite side of the San Pedro River Valley. When...
volcano, where it has carved a 100-m-deep canyon through a rhyolite
Rhyolite
This page is about a volcanic rock. For the ghost town see Rhyolite, Nevada, and for the satellite system, see Rhyolite/Aquacade.Rhyolite is an igneous, volcanic rock, of felsic composition . It may have any texture from glassy to aphanitic to porphyritic...
lava flow.