The Shrinking Aral Sea

The Aral Sea was once the

fourth-largest lake in the world. Fed primarily by snowmelt and precipitation

flowing down from faraway mountains, it was a temperate oasis in an arid

region. But in the 1960s, the Soviet Union diverted two major rivers to

irrigate farmland, cutting off the inland sea from its source. As the Aral Sea

dried up, fisheries collapsed, as did the communities that depended on them.

The remaining water supply became increasingly salty and polluted with runoff

from agricultural plots. Loss of the Aral Sea’s water influenced regional

climate, making the winters even colder and the summers much hotter.

While seasonal rains still

bring water to the Aral Sea, the lake is roughly one-tenth of its original size.

These satellite images show how the Aral Sea and its surrounding landscape has

changed over the past few decades.

For more details about these

images, read the full stories here: https://go.nasa.gov/2PqJ1ot

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com