The Aral Lake, once called the sea, can be found east of the Caspian. It occupied a space of 65781 square meters. km, and this does not include 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 boiling, the desert reigns. You can save a body of water, but this requires the common efforts of countries that are relevant to this water body, as well as the help of the whole world.
A bit of general information
The beautiful blue color of water in the sea and a large number of islands - these are the features that distinguished the Aral Lake. By area it is the second body of water in the world with salt water, but still the level of the content of the mentioned mineral in it is significantly lower 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 reduced: it evaporates more than rivers and precipitation bring. The steep banks of the reservoir, previously washed by stormy waves, are looking from a height at the water surface: now water does not reach them even in a storm. The southern bay of Aybugir, which could not be ford, is completely dry today.
Where is Aral Lake located?
If people make an effort, the reservoir will be saved and reborn to life. And if not, then in Asia, where this sea is located, a desert with salty sand will appear, which is very dangerous for humans. And the Aral Lake itself, our descendants will consider something mythical, akin to Atlantis.
The reservoir occupies part of the territory of Kazakhstan and part of Uzbekistan. Before the 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 the cemetery of abandoned and rusted ships recalls the past prosperity of the region.
Scientists have found that the water level in the lake has been constantly falling since time immemorial. About 21 million years ago, the Aral Sea was connected to the Caspian, somewhere in the 16-17th centuries islands formed on it, and at the beginning of the nineteenth century Zhanadarya and Kuandarya ceased to flow into the Aral Lake. Today, the drainage water reservoir has only two tributaries - the Amu Darya and Syr Darya, whose fresh waters are actively used for irrigation of fields.
Some 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 Sea, and in 2003, most of it broke up into the eastern and western zones. At the same time, Kazakhstan begins work to preserve the lake and ecosystem. He is building a dam that prevents 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 salt, among which a record number of cancer diseases are recorded. But the wind carries the dust far beyond the Aralkum desert (the so-called dry bottom of the reservoir). Sand was found in both Japan and Scandinavia. Therefore, this is a real environmental disaster throughout the modern world.
Why does the Aral Sea need to be protected?
The residual origin of the Aral Lake is a generally accepted fact. But it is worthwhile to make sure that this residue does not chalk and disappear. After all, life in the whole region depends on it. It is also necessary to protect the sea because it is home to many fish. Although there are not many varieties, there are countless individuals. This is due to the fact that the pond 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 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. In the time of Peter the Great, the Aral Sea was plotted on European maps. In the middle of the nineteenth century, the Raim fortification and flotilla were being built in the region, and research began. Every effort should be made, it is worth attracting public attention to the problem of the lake, because if the Aral disappears from the face of the earth, then the Caspian may become the next.