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    • Toshka Project, Egypt
      • The Lakes Form
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The Lakes Shrink A Toshka Project, Egypt story

Water
  1. Earthshots
  2. Toshka Project, Egypt
  3. The Lakes Shrink
Description

The only two places for water in this arid region to go are into the air or into the ground. The underlying limestone prevents much ground infiltration. In the Toshka region, annual precipitation averages a meager 1.5 millimeters, and the potential evaporation rate is 14–15 millimeters per day. With no natural outlet and reduced water input to these lakes from Lake Nasser, the water evaporated quickly.

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Location

Dec. 8 and 15, 1989, Landsat 4 (path/row 175,176/44) — Toshka Lakes, Egypt

Dec. 8 and 15, 1989, Landsat 4 (path/row 175,176/44) — Toshka Lakes, Egypt

Aug. 19 and 26, 2001, Landsat 7 (path/row 175,176/44) — Toshka Lakes, Egypt

Aug. 19 and 26, 2001, Landsat 7 (path/row 175,176/44) — Toshka Lakes, Egypt

Aug. 19 and 28, 2013, Landsat 8 (path/row 175,176/44) — Toshka Lakes, Egypt

Aug. 19 and 28, 2013, Landsat 8 (path/row 175,176/44) — Toshka Lakes, Egypt

Aug. 23 and 30, 2017, Landsat 8 (path/row 175,176/44) — Toshka Lakes, Egypt

Aug. 23 and 30, 2017, Landsat 8 (path/row 175,176/44) — Toshka Lakes, Egypt

July 3 and 12, 2019, Landsat 8 (path/row 175,176/44) — Toshka Lakes, Egypt

July 3 and 12, 2019, Landsat 8 (path/row 175,176/44) — Toshka Lakes, Egypt

Dec. 8 and 15, 1989, Landsat 4 (path/row 175,176/44) — Toshka Lakes, Egypt
Aug. 19 and 26, 2001, Landsat 7 (path/row 175,176/44) — Toshka Lakes, Egypt
Aug. 19 and 28, 2013, Landsat 8 (path/row 175,176/44) — Toshka Lakes, Egypt
Aug. 23 and 30, 2017, Landsat 8 (path/row 175,176/44) — Toshka Lakes, Egypt
July 3 and 12, 2019, Landsat 8 (path/row 175,176/44) — Toshka Lakes, Egypt

Toshka Project, Egypt Additional Imagery & Stories

Irrigated Fields
Irrigated Fields

The Landsat images show the appearance of center-pivot irrigation fields near one of the diminishing lakes. As of 2012, however, only about 21,000 hec...

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Pumping Station
Pumping Station

As part of the Toshka Project, a pumping station sends water from Lake Nasser to irrigated fields in the Toshka basin. The Mubarak Pumping Station has...

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Submerged Dunes
Submerged Dunes

These close-ups of one of the larger lakes show how the formation and reduction of the lakes affected sand dunes. Sand dunes became inundated as the ...

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The Lakes Form
The Lakes Form

The Aswan High Dam on the Nile River was completed in 1970 for flood protection and to store water during dry years. The dam formed Lake Nasser, the t...

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