One of the most well-known ecological disasters in the world has been the loss of the volume of water in the Aral Sea. It is a sea that has lost 90% of its entire volume of water during the last 50 years. The saddest thing is that this sea became the fourth largest endorheic lake in the world and has been reduced to almost nothing.
In this article we are going to tell you everything you need to know about the Aral Sea and what were the causes of its loss of water.
Key features
Although it is known by the name of the Aral Sea, it is an inland lake that is not linked to any sea or ocean. It is located in the northwest of the Kyzyl Kum Desert between present-day Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.The problem is that it is located in a place with a lot of arid lands in Central Asia where the temperatures in summer are quite high, similar to those of the Dead Sea, as they usually hover around 40 degrees Celsius.
Since the surface area and overall volume of water held by this sea fluctuates each year, calculating its occupies is somewhat complex. In 1960, it had a surface area of 68.000 square kilometers, while in 2005 it only had a surface area of 3.500 square kilometers. Although its entire watershed covers 1.76 million square kilometers and occupies much of central Asia, there are other areas in the world such as the seas of the world who also face similar problems. In addition, the global warming It also affects bodies of water in other regions.
Until the 1960s the entire Aral Sea was abundantly fed by various rivers. These rivers were the Amu Darya in the south and the Syr Darya in the northeast. The main difference between 50 years ago and now is that the freshwater discharge is minimal. With less freshwater flowing into the sea, the salinity of the sea began to increase. Ocean salinity is usually around 33 grams per liter; the Aral Sea reached over 110 grams per liter.
Formation and biodiversity of the Aral Sea
This sea was formed over a great depression during the Neogene period of the Cenozoic eraAt that time, the entire Indian continent was in the midst of a collision course with Asia. This collision process reduced the surface of the Paratethys Sea, eventually extinguishing it., as well as causing a folding of the Earth's crust, which led to the emergence of the Caucasus Mountains and the Elburz Mountains. The resulting depression began to fill with water, as some sources, such as the Sil Darya River, flowed into it.
Years after its formation, the Aral Sea mostly dried up until the Pleistocene and the Holocene, returned to be filled.
As for biodiversity, it has been quite scarce for several decades. As the sea has dried up, the flora and fauna species that inhabited this river have been declining. Furthermore, not only was the loss of water volume a consequence of the scarcity of living species, but also the high salinity of the water.
In ancient times, the river deltas were quite fertile and there were numerous species of animals and plants that lived in good conditions. This sea was home to numerous species of fish, as well as other creatures. The most notable fish were the sturgeon, the Aral barbel, the carp, and the roach. It was estimated that there were approximately 100 species of fish, 200 species of mammals, and 500 species of birds. Today, although some fish survive, most have disappeared. We must consider that the shrinking of the Aral Sea also relates to other seas in Asia that face similar consequences.
Threats of the Aral Sea
The evaporation crisis in this sea is due to human action. In 1960, the Soviet Union created a plan to convert all the arid plains in that region of Asia into a highly productive cotton-producing area. Cotton needs a lot of water, so they diverted water from rivers to irrigate crops. To do this, various structures were created that made the volume of water entering the Aral Sea less and less.
Great profits were generated from the cotton industry, but this came at a high price for the Aral Sea. The volume of seawater was rapidly diminishing. This caused the seabed to begin to appear in some areas of the sea, transforming islands into peninsulas or continuous landmasses. The salinity of the sea increased more and more as the volume of water decreased. Not only did the reduction in water volume affect the Aral Sea, but pollution and salinity also increased.
All these changes in environmental conditions caused serious adaptation problems for flora and fauna. Thus, fish began to disappear, as they could not withstand these new conditions. The fishing and maritime industries declined, and many people who depended on the sea had to retire. Furthermore, the marine erosion has become a critical problem in the region due to these changes.
Later, in the 90s, Vozrozhdenya Island was built as a peninsula. This peninsula became a source of concern as it was used for biological weapons testing during the Cold War. Large concentrations of anthrax spores were recorded in these areas. By early 2000, the entire area was extensively cleared to free it from contamination by microorganisms harmful to humans.
The entire Aral Sea region is heavily affected and it is detrimental to people's health. Even today, even with extreme cleanup, the dust raised by the wind still contains a large amount of toxic substances that can cause certain dangerous diseases. These dust particles contain particles of fertilizers and pesticides.
Although numerous efforts have been made to restore this sea, it is very difficult for the water to take its place. In 2005, Kazakhstan built a dam to separate the waters of the northern and southern parts. This dam has caused a slight increase in the volume of the sea to this day in the northern part.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about the Aral Sea.