Huge bodies of water dry up, leaving only kilometers of desert in their place. Life figured out why this is happening and where you urgently need to go to, perhaps, be one of the last witnesses.

Late last year, Google updated its Timelapse service. With this tool, you can see how our planet has changed over the past 32 years. The most impressive changes were edited into separate videos and uploaded to the YouTube channel earth outreach, there you can find a video about the drying up of the Aral and Dead Seas, as well as the Bolivian Lake Poopo. We figured out what happened to these reservoirs.

From the Aral Sea to the Aralkum Desert

Back in 1960, the Aral Sea ranked fourth among the largest inland waters of our planet, it stretched over 67 thousand square kilometers. And now the Aral is turning into a desert called Aralkum.

In fact, the Aral Sea is not a sea at all, it is a very lake, just salty and very large. It was located between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and was fed by water from two rivers: the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya, while water left the Aral itself only through evaporation. That is, the natural balance has been maintained for millennia: the rivers give the lake water, part of which then evaporates from its surface - it would seem that there is nowhere to expect trouble.

After the 1920s, when Uzbekistan entered the Soviet Union, a decision was made to build several thousand kilometers of irrigation canals, which for all subsequent decades supplied cotton fields with moisture in arid areas. Central Asia. Where did the irrigation water come from? Of course, from the very rivers that fed the Aral Sea.

At first, the reservoirs coped well and no one noticed any significant shallowing or desiccation. But in the 60s, they decided to put additional channels into operation, which became disastrous for the salt lake. The water level in the Aral Sea began to drop rapidly, and by 1987 the reservoir became so shallow that it broke up into two separate lakes, which were named the South (Big) and North (Small) Aral Seas. AT In the Great Aral Sea, absolutely all the fish died due to the high salinity.

They decided to restore a small part of the once huge lake by isolating the Syrdarya River and directing its resources exclusively to feed the Northern and not so salty Aral, thereby predetermining the fate of the southern part.

Despite the lost sea, tourists continue to travel to the Aral Sea, which fascinates with its post-apocalyptic landscapes. The popularity of jeep tours in the desert is growing, because in those places where until recently there were busy ports, now there are ship cemeteries that are more like scenery for a disaster movie, and the preserved part of the sea is more like a mirage.

What is dead cannot die

The Dead Sea, in fact, also turns out to be not a sea at all, but a salty drainless lake. It is located between Israel and Jordan, and the water level drops in it by an average of one meter per year. In perspective, since 1984, it looks something like this.

The Dead Sea is one of the most popular tourist attractions. Many people know about the healing properties of the water in this lake and almost the entire area adjacent to it: freshwater springs, healing black clay, safe solar radiation. Even the air near the lake is special; people with respiratory diseases are strongly recommended to visit this unique place. So what's going on with one of the planet's most popular bodies of water?

The level of the Dead Sea often changed depending on the state of the climate, this is an absolutely normal natural situation. But due to the active development of the resources of the Dead Sea, the water level in the lake has fallen by 25 meters in the last century alone. The fact is that since 1977, when due to drainage, the sea was divided into the Northern and Southern parts, the latter came under the control of mineralogical plants that extract bromine, potassium chloride and other minerals. The southern part was divided into a system of pools, violating the natural circulation inside the reservoir. Subsequently, the groundwater level decreased, so cavities began to form in the soil, which eventually turn into failures (karst funnels). It is easy to guess that the ground that falls under your feet does not have the most favorable effect on the people who walk on it, and on the buildings that stand on it.

The main water supply of the Dead Sea is the once mighty Jordan River. Now there are dams on its way, which significantly reduce the amount of water that subsequently enters the Dead Sea. All these factors contribute to the frightening desiccation of the lake.

Today, there are plans to supply water from the Red Sea, but first the water will need to be desalinated so as not to disturb the unique chemical composition lakes, and then delivered through pipes to their destination.

It is not known how many more generations of people will be able to freely enjoy the healing properties of these places. We have the opportunity to visit one of the most mysterious lakes on our planet. It is worth doing this while the Dead Sea still exists.

Gone but promised to return

The second largest lake in Bolivia completely ceased to exist in February last year. Lake Poopo, which averaged 1,300 square kilometers, is disappearing for the second time, the first time it dried up in 1994.

Guess what it tasted like? That's right, salty. And by tradition, drainless. Poopo has been evaporating since 2014, as you can see, it did not take him very long, because, despite the vast area, the depth of the lake was only three meters. The vanished body of water was second in size only to Lake Titicaca, the largest in Bolivia.

For tourists visiting Bolivia, this place was one of the must-haves. Still, how not to stop by a huge salt lake? Moreover, it is adjacent to the largest body of water in Bolivia - Lake Titicaca. But now, only many kilometers of wasteland are left for tourists to contemplate.

Of the causes of drying, fluctuations in the temperature of the surface layer of water in one of the parts are noted. Pacific Ocean, which is affectionately called El Niño ("baby, boy"). El Niño has a significant impact on the climate, and hence on the drying up of water bodies. Also, mining and agriculture are actively developing in the lake area, which increases the load on the sources that feed the Poopo, which scientists call almost the most main reason perhaps the temporary disappearance of the lake.

Huge lakes disappear before our very eyes. Against the background of talk about global warming and melting glaciers, dried-up lakes seem somewhat surreal, but this is a harsh reality.

We can still look at the preserved part of the Aral Sea and experience the healing properties of the Dead Sea, but we may never see the Bolivian Lake Poopo again.

The Aral Sea (or salt lake) is located about 200 km east of the Caspian, on the border of the states of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Today, this body of water is good example what can lead to thoughtless economic activity of a person. Gross intervention in nature sometimes leads to the most negative and, importantly, irreversible consequences. Let's look at why the Aral Sea dried up, and what such changes led to.

A Brief History of Aral Sea Change

If you look at maps that show what the territory of the Aral Sea looked like several centuries ago, you can trace the gradual change in the terrain. For example, it is known that until 1573 the Amu Darya River fed not the Aral Sea, as it is now, but the Caspian Sea (flowing into it along the branch of the Uzbek River). At the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries, the sea level gradually decreased, as a result of which a number of islands were formed, among which was Vozrozhdeniye Island (where in Soviet years was a testing ground for testing in the field of microbiology). Two centuries later, two rivers, the Zhanadarya and the Kuandarya, stopped flowing into the Aral Sea. This happened in 1819 and 1823, respectively. Subsequent systematic observations showed that until the 60s of the twentieth century, the water level in the sea remained unchanged. So, what happened that in just a few decades one of the largest lakes dried up?

In the late 1920s and early 1930s, the young Soviet country gave great importance development of such a direction National economy like cotton growing. To support this industry, a whole comprehensive program was developed. Uzbekistan became the main base for growing cotton. In order to ensure sufficient irrigation of the fields, in 1938 they began to dig a number of canals - the Big, Northern and Southern Fergana, Southern and Northern Tashkent, Karakum and some others. With the development of cotton growing, the number of plantations increased, and, accordingly, more and more water was required for their irrigation. By the 1960s, the selection from the main feeding rivers was so intense that the Aral Sea began to noticeably shallow. In subsequent years, the need for water only increased. For thirty years (from 1960 to 1990) the area of ​​fields increased by almost a third, and the demand for water reached 120 km3. in year. The situation was aggravated by the fact that water resources were used extremely inefficiently. Many scientists dealt with the problem of the shallowing of the Aral Sea. As a result, it turned out that such a quick drying is made up of several factors:

• diversion of water through canals for household needs;
• change climatic conditions(the climate has become more arid);
• withdrawal of water into the earth's interior.

Interestingly, the researchers consider the latter reason to be the main one. According to their calculations, it accounts for 62% of all losses.

Looking at the images of the Aral Sea, taken from satellites with a difference of 37 years (1977 and 2014), you can see how much its shape has changed. The Aral has gone from a full-flowing sea to small, elongated lakes. Naturally, such cardinal and rapid changes could not but affect not only nature, but also the people who live in the surrounding areas.

In 1989, the Aral Sea became so shallow that it broke up, with the formation of the North (or Small) and South (or Big) Aral Seas. As the water dries, the salt concentration increases. As a result, most fish species simply died, unable to survive in new conditions. Fishing is carried out so far only in the Small Sea, and in the North - the water has become so salty that the fish in it have completely disappeared. Another problem related to the management economic activity and shoaling of the sea are industrial pesticides that, together with drainage water, fall from the fields into the channel of the feeding rivers. These poisons accumulate in the salts that cover the dried-up seabed. Frequent strong winds carry this poisonous mixture to long distances, poisoning the surrounding areas. In addition, the air filled with such dust undermines the health of the local population. According to medical estimates, diseases such as cancer of the throat and esophagus, anemia, and indigestion have sharply increased in this region.

The former island of the Renaissance, where microbiological weapons were tested, also causes concern. As a result of the shallowing of the sea, the island disappeared; it joined the mainland. Currently, there is a danger of the spread of pathogens of various diseases with which the scientists of the test site worked.

The shallowing of the Aral Sea had the most negative impact on the economy of the region. Due to the destruction of fisheries and the closure of major ports, unemployment has risen sharply.

Currently, work is underway to preserve the Small Aral Sea. For this, a dam was built, which fenced off the Small Aral from the Big. As a result, the volume of water increased, which lowered the salt concentration. The fishing industry here is gradually recovering.

Why did the Aral Sea dry up? is a question that must be studied thoroughly. This is necessary in order not to repeat the mistakes of the past and prevent similar environmental ones in the future.

One of the border facilities separating Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan is the drainless salty Aral Sea. During its heyday, this sea-lake was considered the fourth in the world in terms of the volume of water contained in it, its depth reached 68 meters.

In the 20th century, when the Republic of Uzbekistan was part of Soviet Union, water and the bottom of the sea were examined by experts. As a result of radiocarbon analysis, it was found that this reservoir was formed in the prehistoric era, about 20-24 thousand years ago.

At that time, the landscape of the earth's surface was constantly changing. Full-flowing rivers changed their channels, islands and entire continents appeared and disappeared. main role in the formation of this water body, the rivers played, at different times filling the sea called the Aral Sea.

The stone basin containing a large lake in primitive times was filled with the waters of the Syr Darya. Then it really was no more than an ordinary lake. But after one of the shifts of tectonic plates, the Amu Darya river changed its original course, ceasing to feed the Caspian Sea.

Large waters and periods of drought in the history of the sea

Thanks to the powerful support of this river, a large lake replenished its water balance becoming a real sea. Its level rose to 53 meters. Significant changes in the water landscape of the area, increased depth have become the causes of climate humidification.

Through the Sarakamyshen depression, it connects with the Caspian Sea, and its level rises to 60 meters. These favorable changes took place in the 4th-8th millennia BC. At the turn of the 3rd millennium BC, aridization processes take place in the Aral Sea region.

The bottom again became closer to the water surface, and the waters dropped to a mark of 27 meters above sea level. The depression connecting the two seas, the Caspian and the Aral, dries up.

The level of the Aral fluctuates between 27-55 meters, periods of revival and decline alternate. The great medieval regression (drying) came 400-800 years ago when the bottom was hidden under a 31-meter water column

Annalistic history of the sea

The first documentary evidence confirming the existence of a large salt lake can be found in Arabic chronicles. These chronicles were kept by the great Khorezm scientist Al-Biruni. He wrote that the Khorezmians already from 1292 BC knew about the existence of a full-flowing sea.

V.V. Bartholdi mentions that during the conquest of Khorezm (712-800 years), the city stood on the eastern coast of the Aral Sea, about which detailed evidence has been preserved. The ancient writings of the holy book Avesta have conveyed to this day a description of the Vaksh River (the current Amu Darya), which flows into Lake Varakh.

In the middle of the 19th century, a geological expedition of scientists (V. Obruchev, P. Lessor, A. Konshin) carried out work in the coastal region. The shor deposits discovered by geologists gave the right to assert that the sea occupied the area of ​​the Sarakamyshinsky depression and the Khiva oasis. And during the migration of rivers and drying up, the mineralization of water sharply increased and salts fell to the bottom.

Facts of the recent history of the sea

The given documentary evidence is collected in the book “Essays on the history of the Aral Sea research”, written by a member of the Russian Geographical Society L. Berg. It is interesting to note that, according to L. Berg, neither ancient Greek nor ancient Roman historical or archaeological works contain any information about such an object.

During periods of regression, when the seabed was partially exposed, the islands became isolated. In 1963, along one of the islands, the Renaissance Island, a border was drawn between the territories occupied by present-day Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan: 78.97% of the Renaissance island is occupied by Uzbekistan, and 21.03% by Kazakhstan.

In 2008, Uzbekistan began exploration work on Vozrozhdeniye Island in order to discover oil and gas bearing layers. Thus, Renaissance Island may turn out to be a "stumbling block" in the economic policy of the two countries.

In 2016, it is planned to complete the main part of exploration work. And already at the end of 2016, LUKOIL Corporation and Uzbekistan will drill two appraisal wells on Vozrozhdeniye Island, taking into account seismic data.

Ecological situation in the Aral Sea region

What is the small and large Aral Sea? The answer can be obtained by studying the drying up of the Aral Sea. At the end of the 20th century, another regression visited this reservoir - drying up. It breaks up into two independent objects - the South Aral and the small Aral Sea.

Why did the Aral Sea disappear?

The water surface was reduced to ¼ of the original value, and the maximum depth approached 31 meters, which was evidence of a significant (up to 10% of the initial volume) reduction in water in the already broken sea.

Fishing, which once flourished on the lake-sea, due to the strong mineralization of the water, left the southern reservoir - the large Aral Sea. The Small Aral Sea has retained some fishing enterprises, but fish stocks in it have also significantly decreased. The reasons why the bottom of the sea was exposed, and separate islands appeared, were:

• Natural alternation of periods of regressions (drying); during one of them, in the middle of the 1st millennium, there was a “city of the dead” at the bottom of the Aral Sea, as evidenced by the fact that there is a mausoleum here, next to which several burials were found.
• Drainage-collector water and domestic wastewater from the surrounding fields and gardens, containing pesticides and pesticides, enter the rivers and settle to the bottom of the sea.
• The Central Asian rivers Amudarya and Syrdarya, partially flowing through the territory of the state of Uzbekistan, have reduced the recharge of the Aral Sea by 12 times due to the diversion of their waters for irrigation needs.
• Global climate change: the greenhouse effect, the destruction and melting of mountain glaciers, and this is where the Central Asian rivers originate.

The climate in the Aral Sea region has become harsher: cooling begins already in August, the summer air has become very dry and hot. Steppe winds blowing around the bottom of the sea carry pesticides and pesticides throughout the Eurasian continent.

Aral is navigable

Back in the XYIII-XIX centuries, the depth of the sea was passable for a military flotilla, which included steamships and sailboats. And scientific and research ships penetrated the secrets that the depth of the sea hid. In the last century, the depths of the Aral Sea abounded in fish and were suitable for navigation.

Until the next period of drying up at the end of the 70s of the XX century, when the bottom of the sea began to sharply approach the surface, ports were located on the seashores:

• Aralsk - former center fishing industry in the Aral Sea; now here is the administrative center of one of the districts of the Kyzylorda region of Kazakhstan. It was here that the start was given to the revival of the fishing industry. The dam erected on the outskirts of the city, the depth of one of the parts into which the small Aral Sea has broken up to 45 meters, has already allowed fish farming. By 2016, fishing for flounder and freshwater fish has been established here: pike perch, catfish, Aral barbel, and zherek. More than 15 thousand tons of fish were caught in the Small Aral Sea in 2016.
• Muynak - located on the territory of the state of Uzbekistan, the former port and the sea are separated by 100-150 kilometers of the steppe, on the site of which there was a bottom of the sea.
• Kazakhdarya - the former port is located on the territory of the state of Uzbekistan.

New land

The exposed bottom became islands. The largest islands are distinguished:

• the island of Vozrozhdeniye, the southern part of which is located on the territory of the state of Uzbekistan, and the northern part belongs to Kazakhstan; as of 2016, Vozrozhdeniye Island is the peninsula where a large number of biological waste;
• the island of Barsakelmes; belongs to Kazakhstan, located at a distance of 180 km from Aralsk; as of 2016, the Barsakalme Reserve is located on this island in the Aral Sea;
• Kokaral Island is located in the north of the former Aral Sea on the territory of Kazakhstan; at present (as of 2016) it is a land isthmus connecting a large sea that has broken into two parts.

Currently (as of 2016), all former islands are connected to the mainland.

Location of the Aral Sea on the map

Travelers and tourists visiting Uzbekistan are interested in the question: where is the mysterious Aral Sea, the depth of which in many places is zero? And what do the Small and Big Aral look like in 2016?

Caspian Sea and Aral Sea on the map

The problems of the Aral Sea and the dynamics of its shrinkage are clearly visible on satellite map. On an ultra-accurate map that depicts the territory occupied by Uzbekistan, one can trace a trend that could mean the death and disappearance of the sea. And the impact of the changing climate on the entire continent, to which the disappearing Aral Sea can lead, will be catastrophic.

The problem of the revival of a drying up water body has become international. The real way to save the Aral Sea may be the project of turning the Siberian rivers. In any case, the World Bank, when 2016 began, allocated $38 million to the countries of the Central Asian region to solve the problem of the Aral Sea and mitigate climate impacts in the region caused by disastrous processes in the Aral Sea.

Video: Documentary about the Aral Sea

The tragedy of the Aral Sea is well known today. Its rapid disappearance from the world map is considered one of the largest environmental disasters of our time. In place of the water surface, the Aralkum desert now spreads. Whether the shrinking of the once vast lake-sea is a consequence of climate change or human activity remains a moot point. Most likely, a combination of a number of factors has led to the current deplorable state. Now Aral Sea can only boast of a sandy-saline plain, dry grass and lonely lakes of water. Its desert beauty fascinates and continues to attract travelers, lovers of vivid impressions and antiquity.

The birth of the sea in the place of the desert

Aral Sea arose on the site of a desert pit twenty-four thousand years ago. By the standards of history, it can be considered quite young.

Probably, the change in the channel of the Amu Darya served as the reason for its occurrence. The fast and full-flowing river fed the Caspian, however, due to soil erosion and landscape changes, it deviated, carrying its waters to the Aral. Together with it, the Amu Darya filled the Syrykamysh depression, forming a large bitter-salty lake. It was located between the Aral and Caspian seas. When the depression overflowed, water poured out of it into the Caspian, forming a natural outflow - the now dried-up branch of Uzboy.

At the very beginning of its inception Aral Sea fed by other rivers, such as Turgay, powerful tributaries of the Syr Darya: Zhanadarya and Kuandarya. The abundance of water resources turned the Aral into one of the largest lakes in the world, but not for long.

Aral in the works and maps of scientists of the ancient world

Famous historians and travelers Ancient Greece and Rome in their treatises have repeatedly mentioned the Aral Sea. Some descriptions can be considered controversial and contradictory. One important fact remains: in ancient times, the Aral Sea was known and not only existed as an inland water resource, but was a significant center of the ancient world.

Great ancient historians such as Hecateus of Miletus, Herodotus, Aristotle, Erastofen did not know about the Aral Sea. But they were well aware of the existence of the Caspian Sea. It was Herodotus in the 5th century BC. e. concluded, and quite rightly, that the Caspian or Hyrcanian Sea is an independent body of water cut off from high water, while on ancient maps it was depicted as connected with the oceans.

The Aral was first mentioned by historians of the late Hellenistic period. In the famous "Geography" of Strabo (I century AD) Aral Sea called Oxian or Oxian Lake. The name comes from the obsolete name of the Amudarya River - Oxus. Interestingly, a century later, the second great scientist-geographer Claudius Ptolemy, describing the Caspian Sea in detail, does not mention the Aral Sea at all. Meanwhile, the map compiled by him very accurately conveys the outlines of these two seas as if they had merged into one. The scientist, following Herodotus, wrote about him as one.

Aral Sea in medieval view

First accurate descriptions and maps of the Aral Sea appear among Arab scientists since the 10th century. If ancient authors relied on the stories of merchants and navigators, theoretical calculations and legends, then medieval historians from the Arab countries relied on their own observations.

The tenth-century traveler and scholar Al-Istakhri was the first to describe in detail Aral Sea and mapped it out. He has it called the Khorezm Sea. It was here, between the water surface of the salt lake and the sands of the Karakum, that the ancient Khorezm civilization grew up.

Interestingly, the Aral Sea as an independent sea does not appear on European medieval maps until the 16th century. According to the tradition originating from the “Geography” of Claudius Ptolemy, it continued to be depicted as merging with the Caspian for a long time.

In 1562, the world saw the famous Jenkinson's Map of Russia, compiled by an English merchant during his travels in Central Asia. It shows a certain Lake China (Kitaia), which originates from the Syr Darya River and flows into the Ob. Most likely, this is Aral Sea. Despite obvious inaccuracies, confused names and the absence of many objects that the traveler was unaware of, Jenkinson's map has long been considered the most detailed guide to this region.

Mysteries of the Aral Sea

The absence of a large natural reservoir on the maps for many centuries still causes some bewilderment of scientists. As a rule, this is explained by the imperfection of knowledge of that time, however, other versions appear. One of possible causes- the confluence of the Aral Sea with the Caspian, as it was indicated by Herodotus. Perhaps, at some period, the high water of these two seas reached such proportions that the space between them was flooded. Another reason is the drying up of the sea, which has already taken place in its history.

Due to the constant processes of soil degradation and changes in the surface topography, the connection with the rivers was interrupted. The channels deviated, dried up, and were lost in the sands of the Karakum. As studies show at least twice in the twenty-four thousand years of its existence Aral Sea dwindled to almost complete extinction.

Today on the opened surface are archaeological excavations. The mausoleum of Kedderi and the remains of settlements of the Khorezm culture of the 11th-14th centuries testify that the sea dried up during this period. Subsequently, the water level recovered, and the buildings were at a depth of 20 meters.

The rapid disappearance of the reservoir in the last 50 years can be both a consequence of technogenic factors, and the result of a changing climate and a natural cyclical phenomenon.

Why go to the Aral

Despite the sand and wind, poor ecology and the remains of a dying lake salted through and through, the Aral attracts travelers. Fans of wild recreation and harsh nature will like the snow-white Aralkum. The atmosphere of the desert is mesmerizing and seems to take you back millions of years. The earth before the beginning of time, and here it stops. People come here for the beauties of nature in order to get in touch with the tragedy and think about what unreasonable human intervention leads to.

Among the popular objects is the ship cemetery in the former port city of Muynak. Dozens of forgotten fishing schooners and cargo trawlers lie among the sands and salt marshes, gradually rusting and crumbling. The sea has long receded, the city is dying, and only the remains of ships blacken against the white background of the desert. It may seem that this is just a fantastic scenery for the film, but no - this is the harsh reality of the modern Aral, very impressive.

For lovers of history, a trip to the site of excavations of the remains of the mausoleum and medieval settlements of Khorezm will be interesting. You should definitely include a visit to Nukus in the program. In the city itself there is a museum with a huge collection of decorative and applied arts of Central Asia. In the village of Khodjeyli near Nukus, the architectural ensemble of the Belaya Khanaka caravanserai, the remains of an ancient fortress, and the medieval mausoleums of the rulers of Khorezm have been preserved.

infamous Aral Sea, or rather, what is left of it is located in Western Asia, between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Once a huge and living body of water with large stocks of fish and its own microclimate, at the end of the 20th century the Aral Sea turned into a dozen small, half-dead lakes, as a result of a Soviet experiment in turning Uzbek rivers south to grow cotton. The Kazakh authorities are trying to save the remnants of the Aral Sea, but their Uzbek comrades are in no hurry to turn the rivers back, because the water from the Syr Darya and Amu Darya rivers still feeds their cotton plantations.

Coordinates: 44.9784775 north latitude, 58.4369659 east longitude

Aral Sea on the map, which can be controlled (zoom and move)

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