Russian Weather
The Shrinking Aral Sea
February 9th, 2007
The Aral Sea, located between the former Soviet republics of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, was once the world’s forth-largest lake. The Soviet government diverted the two main rivers that feed the sea in order to irrigate desert land and grow cotton. As a result, the sea’s surface area has shrunk by approximately 60%, and its volume by 80%. This change has greatly effected the ecology of the surrounding area. The shrinking Aral Sea has even been blamed for recent orange colored snowfall in Siberia.
Here are some interesting photos and satellite views of the Aral Sea.
The Aral Sea from space, August 1964.
Satalite views from 1973, 1987 and 2000 of the shrinking Aral Sea. Photo by NASA.
Dust Storm over the Aral Sea on June 13, 2006. Photo by NASA.
The Shipwreck of the Aral Sea. By Elena Senao.
Abandoned Fishing Boats. By Christopher Herwig.
Link: Wikipedia article on the Aral Sea
Link: The Aral Sea on Wikimapia
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Colorful Snowfall in Siberia
February 6th, 2007
Last week, reports of orange, yellow and green snow were coming from the area near Omsk in Siberia. After investigating the cause of the strange colored snow, officials have determined that the snow was not toxic or radioactive.
Specialists say that the color was produced by “sand, salt, dirt and other sediments from the drying up Aral Sea bottom in Kazakhstan that were carried by dust-storms.�
Siberia’s Once-Frozen Tundra Is Melting
January 26th, 2007
“The landscape of Siberia is transforming. New lakes are forming in the north, while existing lakes are getting larger. Some buildings and houses built upon the permafrost are sinking and starting to crack.”
