The recent evolution of the Aral Sea level and water properties: analysis of satellite, gauge and hydrometeorological data

Peneva, Elisaveta; Stanev, Emil V.; Stanychni, S.V.; Salokhiddinov, Abdulkhakim; Stulina, Galina

doi:10.1016/j.jmarsys.2003.12.005

Cited by 24 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…The intensive agricultural activities occurring in the Aral Sea region since the 1950s have resulted in the over-consumption of the lake water, posing serious challenges to maintaining the lake storage at a stable level. In this study, we found that the lake area and ele-vation of the South Aral Sea showed a persistent decrease throughout 2001 to 2015, and lake storage variations presented slight fluctuations in the North Aral Sea but higher variations in the South Aral Sea, consistent with Peneva et al (2004).…”

Section: Lake Dynamics and Swtsupporting

confidence: 80%

Remote Detection of Varying Water Storage in Relation to Surfacial Temperature of Aral Sea

Chen

et al. 2019

Chin. Geogr. Sci.

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Lake monitoring by remote sensing is of significant importance to understanding the lake and ambient ecological and environmental processes. In particular, whether lake water storage variation could predict lake surfacial temperature or vice versa has long fascinated the research community, in that it would greatly benefit the monitoring missions and scientific interpretation of the lake change processes. This study attempted to remotely detect the dynamics of the Aral Sea and pursue the relationships between varying lake water storage attributes and surface water temperature by using MODIS LST (Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer Land Surface Temperature) 8-day composite products, satellite altimeter data, and actual meteorological measurements. Their associations with lake Surface Water Temperatures (SWT) were then analyzed. Results showed the lake water surface areas and elevations of the North Aral Sea tended to increasing trend from 2001 (2793.0 km 2 , 13.6 m) to 2015 (6997.8 km 2 , 15.9 m), while those of the South Aral Sea showed a decreasing trend during 2001 (20 434.6 km 2 , 3.9 m) and 2015 (3256.1 km 2 , 0.9 m). In addition, the annual daytime and nighttime lake SWT both decreased in the North Aral Sea, while only the daytime SWT in the South Aral Sea exhibited an increase, indicating a rising deviation of diurnal temperatures in the South Aral Sea during the past 15 yr. Moreover, a lower correlation was found between variations in the daytime SWT and storage capacity in the South Aral Sea (R 2 = 0.33; P < 0.05), no fair correlations were tested between lake water storage and daytime SWT in the North Aral Sea nor between lake water storage and nighttime SWT in either part of the sea. These results implied that climate change, if any at least during the research period, has no significant effects on lake dynamics over the two sectors of the Aral Sea with anthropogenic disturbances. However, climate change and human activities may overlap to explain complex consequences in the lake storage variations. Our results may provide a reference for monitoring the spatiotemporal variations of lakes, increasing understanding of the lake water storage changes in relation to the lake SWT, which may benefit the ecological management of the Aral Sea region, in the effort to face the likely threats from climate change and human activities to the region.

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Section: Lake Dynamics and Swtsupporting

confidence: 80%

Remote Detection of Varying Water Storage in Relation to Surfacial Temperature of Aral Sea

Chen

et al. 2019

Chin. Geogr. Sci.

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“…It is a completely enclosed basin with a large inland catchment area. Most of the surrounding land is desert and almost all water entering the basin comes from two major rivers: Amu Darya and Sir Darya (Peneva et al 2004;Toman 2013). The name of the Aral Sea roughly translates from old Turkish as »Sea of Islands«, referring to the more than 1,534 islands that once dotted its waters.…”

Section: Aral Seamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the case of the Aral Sea's recent progressive drying out process is mostly triggered only by anthropogenic factors. Current human influence on the hydrological regimes in catchments of the Aral Sea results in its reduced surface and volume (Peneva et al 2004;Toman 2013), leading to its immanent final disappearance. In the case of Caspian Sea the human influence has not been so severe, although the sea level drop caused by big contractions on Volga River are reported since the 1950s (Vri{er 1953).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modelling of the Aral and Caspian seas drying out influence to climate and environmental changes

Marković¹,

Ruman²,

Gavrilov³

et al. 2014

AGS

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The Caspian sea (Credit: NASA). ABSTRACT: The complete drying out of the Aral and Caspian seas, as isolated continental water bodies, and their potential impact on the climate and environment is examined with numerical simulations. Simulations use the atmospheric general circulation model (ECHAM5) as well as the hydrological discharge (HD) model of the Max-Planck-Institut für Meteorologie. The dry out is represented by replacing the water surfaces in both of the seas with land surfaces. New land surface elevation is lower, but not lover than 50 m from the present mean sea level. Other parameters in the model remain unchanged. The initial meteorological data is real; starting with January 1, 1989 and lasting until December 31, 1991. The final results were analyzed only for the second, as the first year of simulation was used for the model spinning up. The drying out of both seas leads to an increase in land surface and average monthly air temperature during the summer, and a decrease of land surface and average monthly air temperature during the winter, above the Caspian Sea. The greatest difference in temperature between dry and not dry cases have the same values, about 7-8°C in both seasons, while daily extremes of temperature are much more pronounced. In the wider local/regional area, close to both seas, drying out leads to a difference in average annual temperatures by about 1°C. On a global scale, the average annual temperature remains unchanged and the configuration of the isotherms remain unchanged, except for over some of the continents. In winter, Central Asia becomes cooler, while over Australia, southern Africa, and South America, it becomes slightly less warm. Furthermore, a new heat island occurs in western Sahara during summer.

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“…Research examining the environmental evolution of lake sediments in the Aral Sea has mainly been focused on the systematic study of changes in the historic climate, vegetation, and other environmental components over long-term scales since the Quaternary [16][17][18][19]. In view of research findings, more remote sensing techniques were used to assess the impact of human activities on the Aral Sea and its watersheds, to explore the causes of lake shrinkage and to predict the lake's future destiny [20][21][22]. The current environmental status of water, soil and sediment within the Aral Sea basin was determined [23].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Historical Change and Ecological Risk of Potentially Toxic Elements in the Lake Sediments from North Aral Sea, Central Asia

Liu

Abuduwaili

2020

Applied Sciences

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The Aral Sea has received worldwide attention for the deterioration of its biological and chemical status. The accumulation of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in the lake sediments reflects changes in the surrounding watershed and represents a potential hazard for the lake ecosystem. In conjunction with existing environmental records from the Aral Sea basin, sedimentary records of PTEs in North Aral Sea covering a short time scale, anno Domini (AD) 1950–2018, were used to reveal historical changes in PTE concentrations and potential risks to lake functioning. The results suggested that the levels of PTEs in lake sediments from North Aral Sea changed abruptly around 1970 AD, which is concurrent with the intensification of human activities within the basin. After 1970 AD, with the exception of As, which remained at unpolluted-to-moderately polluted levels, the geo-accumulation indices of the remaining PTEs studied (V, Cr, Zn, Co, Pb, Ni, Cu and Cd) inferred a moderately polluted status. Before 1970 AD, the total ecological risk was low, but since 1970, the total ecological risk index has exceeded 150, indicating moderate risk. Historical changes in PTE levels of lake sediments from North Aral Sea and their potential ecological risks are reported for the first time. The conclusions provide an important reference for the protection of lake ecosystems and will provide data for regional/global comparisons of environmental change during the Anthropocene.

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The recent evolution of the Aral Sea level and water properties: analysis of satellite, gauge and hydrometeorological data

Cited by 24 publications

References 11 publications

Remote Detection of Varying Water Storage in Relation to Surfacial Temperature of Aral Sea

Remote Detection of Varying Water Storage in Relation to Surfacial Temperature of Aral Sea

Modelling of the Aral and Caspian seas drying out influence to climate and environmental changes

Historical Change and Ecological Risk of Potentially Toxic Elements in the Lake Sediments from North Aral Sea, Central Asia

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