Three british scientists have just come back from a visit to the lake that straddles the former soviet republics of kazakhstan and uzbekistan. Jun 17, 2012 the aral sea is a terminal lake, has no outlet, and is located in central asia fig. The aral sea, which has been shrinking for almost half a century causing an environmental disaster in central asia, has finally stopped drying up, a russian scientist said on tuesday. Solutions to the sad case of the aral sea pollution. The three image mosaics from 1977, 1998 and 2010 above show the aral sea. The aral sea supported a commercial fishing industry giving jobs to 60,000 people in the early 1960s. A sea in the southern dry lands of kazakhstan and uzbekistan that is rapidly shrinking due to massive. Although irrigation made the desert bloom, it devastated the aral sea. As the aral sea dried up, fisheries collapsed, as did the communities that depended on them. From 1960 to 2004, surface salinity increased from 10ppt in 1960 to 92ppt in 2004 zavialov 2005.
The aral sea aral is a terminal salt lake in western central asia situated at the border between uzbekistan and kazakhstan. It was also home to bustling fishing ports such as aralsk. The south aral sea had split into eastern and western lobes that remained tenuously connected at both ends. The aral sea, bordering kazakhstan and uzbekistan, has been shrinking since the sixties after the rivers that supply it were diverted for soviet irrigation projects. Though the aral sea has been steadily shrinking over the past decade, this truecolor image from august 2010 shows slight growth in the southern sea as water flowed into it. The aral sea was once the fourthlargest lake in the world. The worlds fourthlargest lake has nearly disappeared mashable. The aral sea is located in central asia in the lowlands of turan. The shrinking aral sea has also had a noticeable affect on the regions climate. Bringing back the aral sea exploring the environment. Theoretically yes but to be honest, mostly no it would take tremendous amount of resources and will power from not only the governments of the surrounding area but also the people and aral sea was depleted by the lots of irrigation canals. The steep rise in salinity is one of the curses that hit the aral sea region when the sea started shrinking, and is, with the visible water loss, the element which alters landscape the most.
These images show the decline of the southern aral sea in the past decade, as well as the first steps of recovery in the northern aral sea. Cotton colonialism and the long history of the shrinking aral sea. Aral seas eastern basin is dry for first time in 600 years. In the mid20 th century the lake was ranked as the fourth largest. Nasas latest video shows the worlds once 4th largest lake shrinking steadily. The aral sea has been shrinking since the 1970s when the two main rivers that feed it the amudarya and the syrdarya were diverted to support agricultural endeavors mainly rice and cotton. An overview of recent changes in salinity in the surface waters of the aral sea basin is given. Fed primarily by snowmelt and precipitation flowing down from faraway mountains, it was a temperate oasis in an arid region. At one point in history the aral sea was a thriving salt lake in the middle east and is now about threequarters the size of what it once was. The aral sea drainage basin encompasses uzbekistan and parts of tajikistan, turkmenistan, kyrgyzstan, kazakhstan, afghanistan and iran. The north aral sea sometimes called the small aral sea had separated from the south large aral sea. Declassified military satellite imagery has applications. Apr 19, 2011 the incredible shrinking aral sea britannica editors april 19, 2011 the aral sea, lying between kazakhstan and uzbekistan was once a large saltwater lake that covered some 26,300 square miles 68,000 square km and was the fourth largest inland body of water in the world.
Concentrations of salts and minerals began to rise in the shrinking body of water, leading to staggering alterations in the lakes. Hopefully, the animals and plants are tough, as indeed the people have to be. Use of nasa logos, insignia and emblems is restricted per u. It has split into three salty lakes less than 29 metres above sea level. With no other major source of water, the aral sea has been evaporating and shrinking ever since. It is in located between kazakhstan and uzbekistan. Thus, in the 1960s, the aral sea began shrinking quite rapidly, with the lakes level dropping 2035 inches yearly. The aral sea was once the worlds fourthlargest salt water lake.
This meant that a lot of pesticides and fertilizers were used, which were transported by the runoffs of the fields into the shrinking aral sea, resulting in severe pollution and health problems in the area. Shrinking of the aral sea timeline timetoast timelines. The aral sea is located between kazakhstan and uzbekistan and was once the fourth largest lake in the world. It has been steadily shrinking since the 1960s, after the rivers that fed it were diverted by soviet union irrigation projects. Though the aral sea has been steadily shrinking over the past decade, this truecolor image from august 2010 shows slight growth in the southern sea as water flowed into it from the amu darya for the first time since 2008. The aral sea drainage basin encompasses uzbekistan and parts of tajikistan, turkmenistan, kyrgyzstan, kazakhstan, afghanistan, and iran.
Back then the aral sea fishermen would send their bountiful catch to feed the starving young nation. On 6 october 2002, the heads of states met again to revise the asbp program. Russian cosmonaut anton shkaplerov, who is currently on board the international space station, has published a snapshot of the aral sea on his instagram account. Nasa releases series of aral sea satellite images showing it drying up. The two rivers were diverted to provide water for irrigation as the government wanted to boost the growth of cotton, cereals, melons, and rice. The united nations development program undp fostered an. Problems of the aral sea and water resources of central asia. The aral sea is disappearing before our eyes due to unsustainable water use in central asia. How could the destruction of the aral sea have been prevented. Kazakhstan, uzbekistan, turkmenistan, tajikistan and kyrgyzstan signed a treaty to pledge 1% of their budget to help the aral sea recover from loss of water, the aral sea had gone down so much that,other states had to join together and add some budget to add water to the sea. It is more than 5 million years old and was once the 4th largest lake in the world.
Aug 01, 2017 the shrinking of the aral sea during the 1960s, the soviet government decided to divert the rivers amu darya and syr darya that fed the aral sea with their waters. Ecological policy, assessment and prediction, latest report, tashkent institute of engineers for irrigation and agricultural mechanization uzbekistan, 2004. This waffle maker turns your breakfast into legos future blink. Situated in the centre of the central asian deserts at an altitude of 53 metres above the sea level, the aral sea functions as a gigantic evaporator. Where in the case of las vegas we see the direct effects of people on the land, in the case of the aral sea, separating the countries of kazakhstan and uzbekistan, we see indirect, but no less dramatic effects on a different part of the world. A massive irrigation project has devastated the aral sea over the past 50 years. History shows that parched aral sea can be restored. As the aral sea evaporated, it left behind a 40 000 sq km zone of dry, white salt terrain now called the aral karakum desert.
Aral sea time lapse aral sea shrinking timelapse, 33 year evolution of the aral sea dying out satellite timelapse dont click this link. Ppt the aral sea powerpoint presentation free to view. By 1987, it dried up so much that instead of one lake, there were now two. Schrum title page abstract introduction conclusions references tables figures j i j i back close full screen esc printerfriendly version interactive discussion abstract several decades ago, the aral sea was the fourth out of the biggest lakes all over the world. On a larger scale, loss of the aral seas water influenced regional climate, making the winters even colder.
Nov 08, 2015 it would have required any kind of local government that did not prioritize draining the waters of the aral sea s tributaries, the syr darya and the amu darya, for agriculture to the exclusion of any other needs. Animation developed with photographs of the nasa earth observatory. Is it possible to restore the aral sea to its former size. Shrinking aral sea, 20002016 in the 1960s, the soviet union undertook a major water diversion project on the arid plains of kazakhstan, uzbekistan, and turkmenistan. The shrinking of the aral sea has been called one of the planets worst environmental disasters. Satellite images show the aral sea drying up mail online. The story goes back to a soviet desire to create a new breadbasket, far from southern. These are not necessarily in the public domain materials based on hubble space telescope data may be ed if they are not explicitly produced by the stsci. Study of the groundwater role in water resources of the aral sea region. Over half of the aral sea has vanished in three years. Our website uses cookies to improve its performance and enhance your user experience. By 2001, the southern connection had been severed, and the shallower eastern part retreated rapidly over the next several years. History shows that parched aral sea can be restored new. The tugai or riparian gallery forests that followed the rivers to the aral sea near samarkand held many species such as tamarix ramosissima, poplars and sea buckthorn communities, containing unique pheasants, whiteheaded owl, boar, bald badger and porcupine.
The royal geographical society has unveiled evidence that the devastated region around the aral sea in central asia is the worlds worst ecological disaster. Oct 17, 20 the lake they made, the aral sea, was once the fourth largest lake in the world. Nasa images reveal aral sea is shrinking before our eyes. For almost 30 years the use of water for irrigation of the cotton monoculture and the. The aral sea management experience and lessons learned. Irrigation projects made the desert bloom, but they spelled doom for the natural freshwater lake. If the pictures are new, the news of the aral sea shrinking is old. Health and ecological consequences of the aral sea crisis.
The aral sea is actually not a sea at all, but an immense fresh water lake. Formerly the fourth largest lake in the world with an area of 68,000 km 2 26,300 sq mi, the aral sea has been shrinking since the 1960s after the rivers that fed it were diverted by soviet irrigation projects. Aral sea 64,500 km2 facts about the aral sea disaster. The growing season there is now shorter, causing many farmers to switch. Direction ones main purpose is to propose program that focus on addressing transboundary water resources management.
The aral sea is the largest inland body of salty reservoirs in the world. It was only 30 years later that the soviet government would send its engineers to undertake the massive project of draining the sea that had nurtured the fish. The shrinking aral sea recovers nasa earth observatory. Commenting on the photo made from outer space, shkaplerov recalled that the aral sea is the former endorheic salty lake located on the border of kazakhstan and uzbekistan. The northern aral sea small had separated from the southern large aral sea. May 16, 2017 one of the largest global environmental disasters in the recent history which is being experienced by countries and the population of 62 million people in central asia, is the tragedy of the aral sea that in its environmental, climatic, socioeconomic and humanitarian consequences poses direct threat to the regions sustainable development, health, gene pool and future of the. The aral sea was an endorheic lake lying between kazakhstan and uzbekistan the name. This incredible animation shows how deep the ocean. Aral sea rescue plan claimed a success according to the. Since the 1960s, the aral sea has been shrinking after the soviet irrigation projects diverted the rivers that drained their waters into this sea. Total dissolved salts salinity in most waters are higher than admissible values for drinking water, and ionic composition has changed with time.
At the start of the series in 2000, the lake was already a fraction of its 1960 extent black line. The aral sea once covered about 68,000 square kilometers, a little bigger than the u. The aral sea over time from 1973 to 2001 a time series is a powerful illustrative tool. The first time i traveled to visit the vanishing sea i did not know anyone there. These two images, taken in 2006 left and 2009 by the european space agencys envisat satellite, show the rapid loss of. May 02, 2015 this feature is not available right now. Solutions to the sad case of the aral sea pollution the. The lake they made, the aral sea, was once the fourth largest lake in the world. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The three image mosaics from 1977, 1998 and 2010 above show the aral sea spanning eight landsat scenes. The aral sea was once the fourth largest lake in the world that covered an area of 68,000 square km. Bringing back the aral sea the story of the aral sea is a very sad one.
As a result, the water surface area of the aral sea has decreased from 32,000 in 2000 to 10,000 km2 in 2015. Just go to this site, move the map to the location of the aral sea and start the animation. Feb 01, 2014 theoretically yes but to be honest, mostly no it would take tremendous amount of resources and will power from not only the governments of the surrounding area but also the people. In the 1960s, the soviet union undertook major water diversion projects on the syr darya and amu darya rivers, capturing water that once fed into the aral sea. Oct 16, 2014 the tugai or riparian gallery forests that followed the rivers to the aral sea near samarkand held many species such as tamarix ramosissima, poplars and sea buckthorn communities, containing unique pheasants, whiteheaded owl, boar, bald badger and porcupine. Beik lecture in modern european history, historian maya peterson 02 discussed the rapid disappearance of the aral sea in her talk, making the island desert. Once the fourth largest lake in the world, central asias shrinking aral sea has reached a new low, thanks to decadesold water diversions for. A secondary effect of the reduction in the aral seas overall size is the rapid exposure of the lake bed.
The aral sea was the worlds fourth largest lake with surface area of 68,000 km 2, water level of 53. Nasa images reveal aral sea is shrinking before our eyes it was once the size of ireland, but after 5. The team behind an aral sea restoration plan claims that the water level in the northern part of the sea in central asia has risen by 30% in three years because a. A free powerpoint ppt presentation displayed as a flash slide show on id. The aral sea positioned at the heart of the eurasian continent, the key geographical feature of central asia is that all of its rivers drain centrally into its interior rather than outwards into the external oceans, making it hydrologically almost selfcontained. A lesson in humanenvironment interaction the aral sea. The regions two major rivers, fed by snowmelt and precipitation in faraway mountains, were used to transform the desert into farms for cotton and other crops. This presentation is meant t be used as an animation of how quickly the aral sea disappeared. Health and ecological consequences of the aral sea crisis introduction the shrinking of the aral sea in central asia is considered one of the most dramatic examples of a natural area destroyed by human activitie s. Irrigationinduced environmental changes around the aral sea mdpi. This shrinking is considered to be one of the planets worst environmental disasters.
Animated map of the shrinking of the aral sea, english version. Salinity of surface waters in the aral sea region springerlink. In the last thirty years, more than sixty percent of the lake has disappeared. By 1977, the fish harvesting declined by 75% and by the 1980s, the commercial fishing industry had ended.
After 50 years, the lakes area is 25 percent of its original size and it holds just 10 percent of its original volume of water. Compounding this is the fact that there is ice on the shores in the winter months, which changes the appearance of the shoreline. What is the main cause of the shrinking of the aral sea. These images show the decline of the southern aral sea in the past decade. Each year violent sandstorms pick up at least 150 000 tonnes of salt.
Aug 08, 2009 the shrinking aral sea has also had a noticeable affect on the regions climate. The growing season there is now shorter, causing many farmers to switch from cotton to rice, which demands even more diverted water. Jul 21, 2012 kazakhstans aral sea was once the worlds fourth largest lake, a rich haven for fish, birds and other wildlife. Clearly the aral sea has shrunk considerably and is still, on average, shrinking, but it is not so easy to judge the exact time the imagery in the global mosaic was captured. Dramatic evaporation of the aral sea internet archive. Kazakhstan aral sea a slow revival david verberckt. Shocking timelapse of the shrinking aral sea youtube. This series of truecolor modis image features the shrinking aral sea in kazakhstan and uzbekistan. Between 1960 and 2009, the aral sea shrunk at a rate of approximately approximately 1,255 kilometers squared in area per year in 1960, the width across the aral sea was 235. In the 1960s, the soviet union undertook a major water diversion project on the arid plains of kazakhstan, uzbekistan, and turkmenistan. Changes in water volume of the aral sea after 1960 springerlink.