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Aral Sea
Aral Sea 1989-2008.jpg
The Aral Sea in 1989 (left) and 2008 (right)
Location Kazakhstan - Uzbekistan,
Central Asia
Coordinates 45°N 60°E / 45°N 60°E / 45; 60
Type endorheic, natural lake, reservoir (North)
Primary inflows North: Syr Darya
South: groundwater only
(previously the Amu Darya)
Catchment area 1,549,000 km2 (598,100 sq mi)
Basin countries Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
Surface area 17,160 km2 (6,626 sq mi)
(2004, four lakes)
28,687 km2 (11,076 sq mi)
(1998, two lakes)
68,000 km2 (26,300 sq mi)
(1960, one lake)
North:
3,300 km2 (1,270 sq mi) (2008)
South:
3,500 km2 (1,350 sq mi) (2005)
Average depth North: 8.7 m (29 ft) (2007)
South: 14–15 m (46–49 ft)(2005)
Max. depth North:
42 m (138 ft) (2008)
18 m (59 ft) (2007)
30 m (98 ft) (2003)
South:
37–40 m (121–131 ft) (2005)
102 m (335 ft) (1989)
Water volume North: 27 km3 (6 cu mi) (2007)
Surface elevation North: 42 m (138 ft) (2007)
South: 29 m (95 ft) (2007)
53.4 m (175 ft) (1960)


The Aral Sea (Kazakh: Арал Теңізі, Uzbek: Orol dengizi, Russian: Аральскοе мοре) is a large lake in Central Asia. It is located between Kazakhstan in the north and Karakalpakstan, a region of Uzbekistan, in the south.

For many years, the Aral Sea was one of the world's largest lakes. However, since the 1960s, it has shrunk dramatically. Today, about 90% of its water has disappeared. This happened because the rivers that fed the sea, the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya, were used to water crops.

The remaining parts of the Aral Sea are very polluted. This pollution comes from weapons testing, factories, and fertilizer runoff. These issues happened both before and after the Soviet Union broke apart.

Why Did the Aral Sea Shrink?

The main reason the Aral Sea shrank was due to irrigation. Starting in the 1960s, the Soviet Union began using the water from the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers. This water was diverted to grow cotton in the dry desert areas.

Cotton needs a lot of water to grow. As more and more water was taken from the rivers, less and less reached the Aral Sea. Over time, the sea began to dry up, splitting into smaller, separate lakes.

Efforts to Save the Sea

There is a big project to try and save at least the northern part of the Aral Sea. In the 1990s, a dam was built. This dam was meant to stop water from flowing out of the northern part.

The climate improved for a while, and water levels in the North Aral Sea rose. However, that first dam broke. A new dam was built in 2005 with help from other countries. This new dam has helped the North Aral Sea recover some of its size.

The Island of Rebirth

There was an island in the Aral Sea called the Island of Rebirth. This island was used for testing dangerous germs until 1993. These tests left the island with harmful substances.

Since 2001, the Island of Rebirth is no longer an island. It has become a peninsula because the sea around it dried up. This means it is now connected to the mainland.

  • Karte aralsee

    2004 photo of the Aral Sea (The black lines are where it was in 1850)

  • Modis aral

    Rebirth island (an island in the Aral Sea) joins the mainland (2000/2001)

  • AralSea ComparisonApr2005-06

    North Aral Sea, comparison April 2005/2006 (showing the sea has grown)

  • Aral Sea

    Shrinking of the Aral Sea 1960-2014

Images for kids

  • Pseudoscaphirhynchus fedtschenkoi

    The Syr Darya sturgeon (Pseudoscaphirhynchus fedtschenkoi) was a primitive species of fish possibly driven to extinction by the shrinkage of the Aral Sea.

  • Ukrainian stickleback (Pungitius platygaster)

    The Ukrainian stickleback (Pungitius platygaster) was the only native species of the Aral Sea to survive its reduction and salinization.

  • Platichthys flesus 1

    The European flounder (Platichthys flesus) was a saltwater fish introduced to the Aral Sea.

  • Mylopharyngodon piceus

    The black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus) was a freshwater fish introduced to the Aral Sea.

  • Zebra mussel (8741971412)

    Zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha), a former dominant member of the sea's benthic fauna, and has since returned to the North Aral Sea.

  • Artemia parthenogenetica (Salinas de Añana)

    Parthenogenic brine shrimp (Artemia parthenogenetica), the dominant crustacean of the South Aral Sea and its fragments.

  • Тарас Шевченко Шхуни біля форту Косарал

    First Russian boats on the Aral Sea, watercolor by Taras Shevchenko, 1848

  • Survey of the Sea of Aral 1853

    1853 map of the Aral Sea

  • Michell-Russian-steam-barges-Kungrad

    Ships of Imperial Russian Navy's Aral Flotilla in the 1850s

  • Operational Navigation Chart F-5, 6th edition

    Map including the Aral Sea and surrounding region (DMA, 1979)

  • Karakalpakstan Kyzyl Qala Cotton Picking

    Cotton picking near Kyzyl-Kala, Karakalpakstan.

  • Aral Sea

    Timeline of shrinking

  • Cotton handle peeling (Buka district, Tashkent region, Uzbekistan)-03

    Cotton picking in Uzbekistan. Cotton is one of the biggest water consuming plants.

  • AralSea ComparisonApr2005-06

    Comparison of the North Aral Sea before (below) and after (above) the construction of Dike Kokaral completed in 2005.

  • North Aral Sea 2000 and 2011

    Comparison of the North Aral Sea in 2000 and 2011.

  • Modis aral

    "Rebirth" Island joins the mainland in mid-2001.

  • Aral sea 1985 from STS

    Aral Sea from space (north at bottom), August 1985

  • AralSea(1997) NASA STS085-503-119

    Aral Sea from space (north at bottom), August 1997

  • Aral Sea Continues to Shrink, August 2009

    Aral Sea from space (north at top), August 2009

  • The Shrinking Aral Sea Recovers 2010

    Aral Sea in August 2010, with part of the eastern basin reflooded from heavy snowmelt.

  • Aralsea tmo 2014231 lrg

    Aral Sea completely loses its eastern lobe in August 2014

  • Aral Sea August 2017

    Aral Sea from space, August 2017. Part of the eastern basin was reflooded from heavy snowmelt in 2015.

  • Aral in April 2018 (Iss055e018638 lrg)

    April 2018

  • Aral Sea 2021

    Aral Sea once again completely loses its eastern lobe in August 2021

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Mar de Aral para niños

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