Skip to main content
Home

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center

Main Menu

  • EROS Home
  • Image Gallery
  • Video Library
  • Earthshots
  • Remote Sensing Classroom

Earthshots

  • Earthshots
    • Aral Sea, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan
      • Kazakhstan, North Aral Sea
      • Kok-Aral Dam
      • Aralsk
      • Uzbekistan, South Aral Sea
      • Islands
      • Where Is the Water?
  • Download Cards
  • More Information
  • Contact Information
Earthshots Logo

Where Is the Water? An Aral Sea, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan story

Agriculture  / 
Dams  / 
Water
  1. Aral Sea, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan
  2. Where Is the Water?
Description

The first question people have when seeing these images of the Aral Sea over time is, Where did the water go?

The images that go along with this section show where a lot of it is going. These images are from a Landsat scene south of the Aral Sea, upstream along the Amu Darya. The urban area in the center of the close-up image is Urgench, Uzbekistan.

Both images show extensive irrigated cropland along the Amu Darya. Canals can be seen stretching across the region, along with several pools of stored water. There is still plenty of water in the rivers that feed the Aral, it’s just being used before it can get there.

View Related Imagery & Stories

Location

July 24, 2021, Landsat 8 (path/row 160/31) — Amu Darya south of the Aral Sea

July 24, 2021, Landsat 8 (path/row 160/31) — Amu Darya south of the Aral Sea

July 24, 2021, Landsat 8 (path/row 160/31) — Urgench, Uzbekistan, south of the Aral Sea

July 24, 2021, Landsat 8 (path/row 160/31) — Urgench, Uzbekistan, south of the Aral Sea

July 24, 2021, Landsat 8 (path/row 160/31) — Amu Darya south of the Aral Sea
July 24, 2021, Landsat 8 (path/row 160/31) — Urgench, Uzbekistan, south of the Aral Sea

Aral Sea, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan Additional Imagery & Stories

Aralsk
Aralsk

The city of Aralsk is shown in the 1964 ARGON image on the coast of the sea. By 1977, the sea had retreated from the city but was still just a few kil...

Read More
Islands
Islands

The name Aral means Island. The sea did once have many islands. However, many of them stopped beings islands as the sea dried up. Two of the prominent...

Read More
Kazakhstan, North Aral Sea
Kazakhstan, North Aral Sea

While the entire Aral Sea is shrinking dramatically, these images show that the northern portion of the sea, while clearly smaller than it was in 1964...

Read More
Kok-Aral Dam
Kok-Aral Dam

The Kok-Aral Dam was completed in 2005 to control the water level of the North Aral Sea. This dam has prevented further decline of the North Aral Sea,...

Read More
Uzbekistan, South Aral Sea
Uzbekistan, South Aral Sea

Although using the dam to retain most of the water from the Syr Darya in the North Aral Sea has had beneficial results in Kazakhstan, it means the wat...

Read More
  • DOI Privacy Policy
  • Legal
  • Accessibility
  • Site Map
  • Contact USGS

  • U.S. Department of the Interior
  • DOI Inspector General
  • White House
  • E-gov
  • No Fear Act
  • FOIA