Tuesday, December 23, 2025
ADVT 
International

World's fourth largest sea dried up completely: NASA

Darpan News Desk IANS, 30 Sep, 2014 10:35 AM
    Aral Sea - the giant lake between Kazakhstan in the north and Uzbekistan in the south - has dried up completely, says NASA.
     
    In the early 1900s, the Aral Sea was the fourth largest lake in the world.
     
    Today, the vast lake - formed 5.5 million years ago in Central Asia - in the middle of the Kyzylkum desert has shrunk to a level where water is no more visible to the eyes, revealed a series of images from Nasa's Terra satellite.
     
    A massive water diversion project begun by the Soviet Union in the 1960s caused it to shrink dramatically.
     
    "It is likely the first time it has completely dried in 600 years since the diversion of the region's major river Amu Darya to the Caspian Sea," Philip Micklin from the Western Michigan University was quoted as saying in media reports.
     
    According to NASA, this is happening because of low snowpack in the mountains that feed the lake.
     
    Experts predict the giant lake will disappear completely by 2020.
     
    According to the United Nations Environment Programme, more than 60 million people live in the Aral region - up fourfold since 1960.

    MORE International ARTICLES

    World's oldest weather report found in Egypt

    World's oldest weather report found in Egypt
    If you thought weather prediction was a recent phenomenon, you would be in for a surprise if told that weather prediction was done in ancient Egypt some 3,500 years ago!

    World's oldest weather report found in Egypt

    Lost jet: 'Most difficult search in history' continues

    Lost jet: 'Most difficult search in history' continues
    The search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 ended for the day Thursday with no sightings made in the search area in the southern Indian Ocean yet again and Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said the search operation is "the most difficult in human history".

    Lost jet: 'Most difficult search in history' continues

    Go and vote: UN official to Afghans

    Go and vote: UN official to Afghans
    A senior UN official Thursday urged Afghans to use the presidential and provincial council elections two days hence to shape the future of the country through peaceful, democratic means.

    Go and vote: UN official to Afghans

    Lost jet: Passengers cleared of suspicion, search continues

    Lost jet: Passengers cleared of suspicion, search continues
    No sightings were reported at the conclusion of Wednesday's search operation in the southern Indian Ocean for the “lost” Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 even as a senior Malaysian official said that all passengers on board the jet have been “cleared” in a criminal investigation that is being conducted.

    Lost jet: Passengers cleared of suspicion, search continues

    Britain closes military headquarters in Afghanistan

    Britain closes military headquarters in Afghanistan
    Britain's military headquarters in Helmand province of southern Afghanistan has been disbanded after eight years of frontline operations, the British defence ministry announced Wednesday.

    Britain closes military headquarters in Afghanistan

    Tsunami hits Chile after 8.3-magnitude earthquake

    Tsunami hits Chile after 8.3-magnitude earthquake
    Tsunami waves generated by an earthquake measuring 8.3 on the Richter Scale that hit off the Chile coast Tuesday struck some areas in the north of the country.

    Tsunami hits Chile after 8.3-magnitude earthquake