Aral Lake, once called the sea, can be found east of the Caspian. It occupied a space of 65781 sq. km, and this is without taking into account the islands that are located on the water surface. Why did it take? Yes, because its area is gradually decreasing, the waters evaporate, and in the coastal zone, where life was once in full swing, the desert reigns. It is possible to save the reservoir, but this requires the joint efforts of the countries that are related to this water body, as well as the help of the whole world.
A bit of general information
The beautiful blue color of the water in the sea and a large number of islands - these are the features that distinguished the Aral Lake. In terms of area, this is the second body of water in the world with s alt water, but still, the level of the mentioned mineral in it is significantly less than in the ocean. The depth of the water body is small - a maximum of 75 m, and its average value barely reaches fifteen meters.
Since the sixties of the last century, the amount of water in the lake has been sharply decreasing: it evaporates more than it bringsrivers and rainfall. The steep banks of the reservoir, washed before by stormy waves, look from a height onto the water surface: now the water does not reach them even in a storm. The southern bay of Aybugir, which was impossible to ford, has completely dried up today.
Where is Aral Lake?
If people make an effort, the reservoir will be saved and revived. And if not, then in Asia, where this sea is located, a desert with s alty sand will appear, which is very dangerous for humans. And the Aral Lake itself will be considered by our descendants as something mythical, akin to Atlantis.
The reservoir occupies part of the territory of Kazakhstan and part of Uzbekistan. Before shallowing, it was listed as the fourth largest lake on the planet, fishing boats sailed in it, fish bases and factories worked on its shores. Now only a cemetery of abandoned and rusted ships reminds of the former prosperity of the region.
Scientists have found that the water level in the lake has been constantly falling since time immemorial. Approximately 21 million years ago, the Aral was connected to the Caspian, somewhere in the 16-17 centuries islands formed on it, and at the beginning of the nineteenth century, the Zhanadarya and Kuandarya stopped flowing into the Aral Lake. Today, the endorheic reservoir has only two tributaries - the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya, the fresh waters of which are actively used to irrigate the fields.
A few more facts
Today the Aral Lake consists of three parts. On what continent it is located, we have already found out. In 1989, the reservoir was divided into the Small and Big Seas, and in 2003 most of it broke upinto the eastern and western zones. At the same time, Kazakhstan begins work to preserve the lake and the ecosystem. They are building a dam that keeps water from flowing out, but neighboring Uzbekistan is not ready to allocate money to support its part of the Aral Sea.
But do not think that the problem of the Aral Sea is only local. Of course, local residents suffer from sand and s alt, among whom a record number of cancer cases is recorded. But the wind carries the dust far beyond the Aralkum desert (as the dry bottom of the reservoir is called). Sand was found both in Japan and Scandinavia. Therefore, this is a real ecological disaster for the entire modern world.
Why should the Aral Sea be protected?
The residual origin of the Aral Lake is a generally accepted fact. But it is worth making sure that this residue does not become shallow and does not disappear. After all, life in the whole region depends on it. The sea also needs to be protected because it is home to many fish. Although there are few varieties of it, there are an uncountable number of individuals. This is due to the fact that the reservoir is shallow, but spacious, so the water warms up well. Its banks are densely overgrown with reeds, and the lower reaches are filled with silt rich in organic matter. And these are ideal conditions for the habitat of fish, which are precisely freshwater. Among the inhabitants of the Aral Sea there are very rare species that are not found anywhere else.
Our ancestors knew about the beautiful Blue Sea and the Syr River, which flows into it. At timesPeter the Great, the Aral was marked on European geographical maps. In the middle of the nineteenth century, the Raim fortification, a flotilla were built in the region, and research began. It is necessary to make every effort, it is worth drawing public attention to the problem of the lake, because if the Aral disappears from the face of the earth, the Caspian may become the next one.
