Five years of field hydrographic research in the Large Aral Sea (2002–2006)

Zavialov, Peter; Ni, Anatoli; Kudyshkin, T. V.; Kurbaniyazov, A. K.; Dikarev, S. N.

doi:10.1016/j.jmarsys.2008.03.013

Cited by 24 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 6 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In fact, in the recent field campaigns, near-bottom velocities of up to 27 cm/s were recorded (Zavialov et al, 2008a). Such high velocities could indeed be responsible for massive erosion of the channel bed, especially considering that the latter is formed by soft silts.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…As observed, at the nine most westerly stations, the channel is not present in the available bathymetry. Details of the campaign have been given by Zavialov et al (2008a) although depths along the channel were not reported.…”

Section: The Context and The Methodology Of The Experimental Setupmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…At present, the runoff from the Syr Darya River into the Small Aral is enough to keep its level stable. The state of the Large Aral is much more critical, although the residual flow of the Amu Darya Riveraround 5 km 3 /year (Gorelkin and Kudyshkin, 2006) -led to a rather stable situation between 2002 and 2006 (Zavialov et al, 2008a). In the fall of 2006, however, the level of the Large Aral started to drop again, following the construction of a dam separating the Small Sea from the Large Sea, and thus preventing Syr Darya runoffs from reaching the Large Sea.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Geodynamical processes in the channel connecting the two lobes of the Large Aral Sea

Roget

Zavialov

Khan

et al. 2009

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract.Reasons for the existence of the channel connecting the two lobes of the present Large Aral Sea are discussed. In situ measurements in 2005 show that differences between the measured depths and those contained in the available digital bathymetry of the lake are considerably different at the channel (7.5±0.9 m, at nine measurement stations along it) and at the northern part of the eastern lobe (1.6±0.3 m, at six stations from the western to the eastern shore). Differences in the misfits observed in the two zones are discussed and thought to be a consequence of the variation of the transversal area of the channel as it enters the eastern lobe, which would affect the flow velocity and thus the strength of the erosion process at the bottom. Field data together with satellite images have been used to modify an original digital bathymetry of the lake and have been implemented into a 3-D hydrodynamical model. A numerical simulation shows that a wind of 12 m/s blowing from the east (112 • ) generates velocities of up to 45 cm/s in the channel, allowing denser water from the eastern lobe (salinity: 132 g/kg) to flow about 38 km towards the fresher western lobe (salinity: 98 g/kg) in one day. The effect of the inflow on the vertical structure of the western lobe is also illustrated. Although nowadays the channel will be soon a thing of the past, in a more general context, the Aral Sea is presented as an example showing that geomorphologic and geophysical processes, along with hydrological and atmospheric processes, must be taken into account for short-term predictions.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: The Context and The Methodology Of The Experimental Setupmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Geodynamical processes in the channel connecting the two lobes of the Large Aral Sea

Roget

Zavialov

Khan

et al. 2009

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…During the shallowing of the lake, velocities within the channel could be expected to become higher and have eroded the bottom of the channel. In fact, in the recent field campaigns, near-bottom velocities of up to 27 cm/s were recorded (Zavialov et al, 2008a). Such high velocities could indeed be responsible for massive erosion of the channel bed, especially considering that the latter is formed by soft silts.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Geodynamical processes in the channel connecting the two lobes of the Large Aral Sea

Roget¹,

Zavialov²,

Khan³

et al. 2009

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Reasons for the existence of the channel connectin the two lobes of the present Large Aral Sea are discussed. In situ measurements in 2005 show that differences between the measured depths and those contained in the available digital bathymetry of the lake are considerably different at the channel (7.5±0.9 m, at nine measurement stations along it) and at the northern part of the eastern lobe (1.6±0.3 m, at six stations from the western to the eastern shore). Differences in the misfits observed in the two zones are discussed and thought to be a consequence of the variation of the transversal area of the channel as it enters the eastern lobe, which would affect the flow velocity and thus the strength of the erosion process at the bottom. Field data together with satellite images have been used to modify an original digital bathymetry of the lake and have been implemented into a 3-D hydrodynamical model. A numerical simulation shows that a wind of 12 m/s blowing from the east (112°) generates velocities of up to 45 cm/s in the channel, allowing denser water from the eastern lobe (salinity: 132 g/kg) to flow about 38 km towards the fresher western lobe (salinity: 98 g/kg) in one day. The effect of the inflow on the vertical structure of the western lobe is also illustrated. Although nowadays the channel will be soon a thing of the past, in a more general context, the Aral Sea is presented as an example showing that geomorphologic and geophysical processes, along with hydrological and atmospheric processes, must be taken into account for short-term predictionsWe thank D. Soloviov and S. Stanichniy (Marine Hydrophysical Institute, Ukraine), who kindly provided the satellite images used in this study. We are grateful to Professor Micklin and one anonymous reviewer for the interesting points they have raised in their review and for the opportunity to incorporate them in the text. This paper has been done within the frame of the NATO Collaborative Linkage Grant ESP-NR-NRCLG-982592. The work was also supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research and, partially, by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science, grant FIS2008-03608This paper has been done within the frame of the NATO Collaborative Linkage Grant ESP-NR-NRCLG-982592. The work was also supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research and, partially, by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science, grant FIS2008-0360

show abstract

“…Water inflows from the Amu Darya decreased to very low levels in 2000–2001, stopping altogether in 2007. When the water level reached +34 m, the Large Aral Sea became divided into a Western and an Eastern part, joined north of the former Vozrozhdenie Island by a strait which transformed into long narrow channel in 2001–2002 (Zavialov et al. 2009).…”

Section: Declining Water Levelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Aral Sea and the Dead Sea: Disparate lakes with similar histories

et al. 2010

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In spite of significant differences in their sizes, depths, salinity and other properties, the Aral Sea and the Dead Sea share many features, as illustrated by a comparison of the histories of both water bodies. Fifteenth and early sixteenth century maps, based on the 'Geography' of Ptolemy, contain both lakes. The first successful limnological surveys of the lakes were made in the same year 1848, when Alexey Butakov explored the Aral Sea and William Lynch mapped the Dead Sea. Paintings and drawings by Taras Shevchenko (Aral Sea) and David Roberts (Dead Sea) document the landscapes around the lakes in the first half of the 19th century. The water balance of both lakes has been strongly negative in the past decades, leading to a decreased water surface area and volume for both lakes, their increased salinity and deterioration of their local infrastructures. Complex and expensive mitigation schemes have been proposed for both lakes, based on the import of large quantities of water from distant sources via canals or pipelines (i.e. Siberian rivers or Caspian Sea to supply water to the Aral Sea, Mediterranean Sea or Red Sea, to be connected with the Dead Sea). Less dramatic solutions to improve the local situations already have resulted in improved water quality in the Aral Sea, and partial restoration of its fisheries. In contrast, the Dead Sea remains much too saline to support higher forms of life. Nevertheless, a biblical prophecy predicts that even this most hypersaline of all lakes will eventually be teeming with fish of many kinds.

show abstract

Five years of field hydrographic research in the Large Aral Sea (2002–2006)

Cited by 24 publications

References 6 publications

Geodynamical processes in the channel connecting the two lobes of the Large Aral Sea

Geodynamical processes in the channel connecting the two lobes of the Large Aral Sea

Geodynamical processes in the channel connecting the two lobes of the Large Aral Sea

The Aral Sea and the Dead Sea: Disparate lakes with similar histories

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About