What caused the shrinking of the Aral Sea?
Once the fourth largest lake in the world, Central Asia’s shrinking Aral Sea has reached a new low, thanks to decades-old water diversions for irrigation and a more recent drought. The Aral Sea was fed by two of Central Asia’s mightiest rivers, the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya.
What are the effects of the Aral Sea shrinking?
The shrinking Aral Sea has also had a noticeable affect on the region’s climate. The growing season there is now shorter, causing many farmers to switch from cotton to rice, which demands even more diverted water. A secondary effect of the reduction in the Aral Sea’s overall size is the rapid exposure of the lake bed.
What human activities caused the Aral Sea to shrink?
Intensive irrigation of cotton plantations in the deserts of the western Soviet Union prevented water reaching the Aral Sea, leading to the drastically low levels we see today. This in turn meant the highly-salty waters killed off many plants and animals.
Will the Aral Sea ever be restored?
The Aral Sea as a whole will never completely recover. The shoreline has radically changed, and the South Aral Sea remains almost completely desiccated. The North Aral Sea is recovering thanks to the $86 million Syr Darya Control and Northern Aral Sea project, funded by the Kazakh government and the World Bank.
Is the Aral Sea as big now as it was in 1960?
By 2010 the large Aral was 27 m and the small Aral 43 m above sea level. From 1960 to 1998, the sea’s surface area shrank by 60%, and its volume by 80%. In 1960, the Aral Sea had been the world’s fourth-largest lake with an area of 68,000 km2 (26,000 sq mi) and a volume of 1,100 km3 (260 cu mi).
Is the Black Sea technically a lake?
There is also evidence that water levels in the Black Sea were considerably lower at some point during the post-glacial period. Some researchers theorize that the Black Sea had been a landlocked freshwater lake (at least in upper layers) during the last glaciation and for some time after.
Is the Black Sea poisonous?
With rivers providing an abundant supply of fresh water, the upper layers of the Black Sea are less dense than its saltier lower layers. Furthermore, a high concentration of hydrogen sulfide, an extremely toxic gas, lies dormant in the deepest layers of the Black Sea.
Why is the Dead Sea a sea and not a lake?
The Dead Sea is not a sea. The Dead Sea, also known as the Salt Sea, is actually a salt lake. It has a single source, the Jordan River, and is not connected to the ocean. Its landlocked nature causes the water to evaporate and leave behind massive amounts of salt, making it so dense that people can float on top of it.