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Collection:
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NASA Scientific Visualization Studio Collection
Collection
NASA Scientific Visualization Studio Collection
Collection
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Title:
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Dramatic Evaporation of the Aral Sea
Title
Dramatic Evaporation of the Aral Sea
Title
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Instrument:
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Landsat-7/ETM
Instrument
Landsat-7/ETM
Instrument
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Instrument:
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Landsat-1/MSS
Instrument
Landsat-1/MSS
Instrument
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Instrument:
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Landsat-4/MSS
Instrument
Landsat-4/MSS
Instrument
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Description:
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The Aral Sea on July 29, 2000 from Landsat-7
Description
The Aral Sea on July 29, 2000 from Landsat-7
Description
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Abstract:
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Disapearing Water: The Aral Sea Over Time (From 1973 to 2001)
A time series is a powerful illustrative tool. Where in the case of Las Vegas we see the direct effects of people on the land, in the case of the Aral Sea, separating the countries of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, we see indirect, but no less dramatic effects on a different part of the world.
The Aral Sea is actually not a sea at all. It is an immense lake, a body of fresh water, although that particular description of its contents might now be more a figure of speech than practical fact.
In the last thirty years, more than sixty percent of the lake has disappeared. As you'll see in the visualization, the change over time is dramatic.
In the 1970s, farmers and state offices opened significant diversions from the rivers supplying water to the lake, sending millions of gallons to irrigate cotton fields and rice paddies.
So voluminous were these irrigation sluices that concentrations of salts and minerals began to rise in the shrinking body of water. That change in chemistry has led to staggering alterations in the lake's ecology, causing precipitous drops in the Aral's fish population.
A secondary effect of this reduction in the Aral Sea's overall size is the rapid exposure of the lake bed. Powerful winds that blow across this part of Asia routinely pick up and deposit tens of thousands of tons of now exposed soil every year. This has not only contributed to significant reduction in breathable air
quality for nearby residents, but also appreciably affected crop yields due to those heavily salt laden particles falling on arable land.
In the following sequence of images, we see a series of Landsat scenes taken several years apart. As the years pass, we see the profound reduction in overall area covered by the Aral, and a commensurate increase in land area as the floor of the sea now lies exposed.
Abstract
Disapearing Water: The Aral Sea Over Time (From 1973 to 2001)
A time series is a powerful illustrative tool. Where in the case of Las Vegas we see the direct effects of people on the land, in the case of the Aral Sea, separating the countries of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, we see indirect, but no less dramatic effects on a different part of the world.
The Aral Sea is actually not a sea at all. It is an immense lake, a body of fresh water, although that particular description of its contents might now be more a figure of speech than practical fact.
In the last thirty years, more than sixty percent of the lake has disappeared. As you'll see in the visualization, the change over time is dramatic.
In the 1970s, farmers and state offices opened significant diversions from the rivers supplying water to the lake, sending millions of gallons to irrigate cotton fields and rice paddies.
So voluminous were these irrigation sluices that concentrations of salts and minerals began to rise in the shrinking body of water. That change in chemistry has led to staggering alterations in the lake's ecology, causing precipitous drops in the Aral's fish population.
A secondary effect of this reduction in the Aral Sea's overall size is the rapid exposure of the lake bed. Powerful winds that blow across this part of Asia routinely pick up and deposit tens of thousands of tons of now exposed soil every year. This has not only contributed to significant reduction in breathable air
quality for nearby residents, but also appreciably affected crop yields due to those heavily salt laden particles falling on arable land.
In the following sequence of images, we see a series of Landsat scenes taken several years apart. As the years pass, we see the profound reduction in overall area covered by the Aral, and a commensurate increase in land area as the floor of the sea now lies exposed.
Abstract
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Completed:
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2001-04-19
Completed
2001-04-19
Completed
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Credit:
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*Please give credit for this visualization to*
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Scientific Visualization Studio
Credit
*Please give credit for this visualization to*
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Scientific Visualization Studio
Credit
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Studio:
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SVS
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Animator:
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Joycelyn Thomson (Lead)
Animator
Joycelyn Thomson (Lead)
Animator
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Scientist:
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Darrel Williams (NASA/GSFC)
Scientist
Darrel Williams (NASA/GSFC)
Scientist
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Series:
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Geophysical Changes Over Time
Series
Geophysical Changes Over Time
Series
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Data Collected:
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1973/05/29, 1987/08/19, 2000/07/29
Data_Collected
1973/05/29, 1987/08/19, 2000/07/29
Data Collected
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Keywords:
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DLESE
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Keywords:
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SVS
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Keywords:
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GCMD
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Keywords:
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Location
Keywords
Location
Keywords
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Keywords:
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Hydrology
Keywords
Hydrology
Keywords
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Keywords:
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Human geography
Keywords
Human geography
Keywords
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Keywords:
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Agricultural science
Keywords
Agricultural science
Keywords
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Keywords:
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EARTH SCIENCE
Keywords
EARTH SCIENCE
Keywords
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Keywords:
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Atmosphere
Keywords
Atmosphere
Keywords
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Keywords:
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Atmospheric Water Vapor
Keywords
Atmospheric Water Vapor
Keywords
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Keywords:
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Chemical oceanography
Keywords
Chemical oceanography
Keywords
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Keywords:
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Biology
Keywords
Biology
Keywords
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Keywords:
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Chemistry
Keywords
Chemistry
Keywords
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Keywords:
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Evaporation
Keywords
Evaporation
Keywords
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Keywords:
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Kazikstan
Keywords
Kazikstan
Keywords
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Keywords:
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Aral Sea
Keywords
Aral Sea
Keywords
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Keywords:
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Uzbekistan
Keywords
Uzbekistan
Keywords
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note:
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More Information on this topic available at
stories/earthday2001 /index.html
note
More Information on this topic available at
stories/earthday2001 /index.html
note
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Video:
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SVS2001-0013* * *
Video
SVS2001-0013* * *
Video
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facet_where:
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Goddard Space Flight Center
facet_where
Goddard Space Flight Center
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Earth
facet_where
Earth
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Kazakhstan
facet_where
Kazakhstan
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Aral Sea
facet_where
Aral Sea
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Uzbekistan
facet_where
Uzbekistan
facet_where
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facet_when:
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July 29, 2000
facet_when
July 29, 2000
facet_when
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facet_what:
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Landsat
facet_what
Landsat
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Earth
facet_what
Earth
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Launch Abort System (LAS)
facet_what
Launch Abort System (LAS)
facet_what
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facet_when_year:
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2000
facet_when_year
2000
facet_when_year
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Animation Number:
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2105
Animation_Number
2105
Animation Number
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UID:
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SPD-SCIVS-http://svs .gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a 000000/a002100/a0021 05/aral2000-IMAGE
UID
SPD-SCIVS-http://svs .gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a 000000/a002100/a0021 05/aral2000-IMAGE
UID
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original url:
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original_url
original url
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