Chapter 01 of 5
A Sea in the Steppe
The geography of the endorheic basin before the intervention.
- Global Scale
A Giant Inland Sea
Until the 1960s, the Aral Sea was the world's fourth-largest lake. It spanned 68,000 square kilometers, roughly the size of Ireland.
- Geography
Endorheic Basin
The Aral is an endorheic lake, meaning its water stays within the basin. It has no outlet to the ocean, relying entirely on balance between inflow and evaporation.
- Major Arteries
The Two Lifeblood Rivers
The sea was fed by two massive rivers: the Amu Darya in the south and the Syr Darya in the north. They were its only source of replenishment.
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Could you answer this?
Which two rivers were the primary sources of water for the Aral Sea?
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🏜️ Why is the Aral Sea Dying?
- 01A Sea in the SteppeThe geography of the endorheic basin before the intervention.
- 02The Cotton DiversionHow rerouting two rivers redrew the map of Central Asia.
- 03The Aralkum DesertThe birth of a new desert from a former seabed.
- 04Climate of the VoidHow a disappearing lake broke the local weather.
- 05A Divided HorizonThe Kokaral Dam and the permanent map of the future.