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 TDK1000
 |  | aral sea
< on 9/24/2007 4:04 AM >
|  | | | From the 1930s, the former Soviet Union started building large scale diversion canals to irrigate vast cotton fields in a grand plan to make cotton a great export earner. This was achieved, and even today Uzbekistan is still a large exporter of cotton. But the cost in ecological and human terms have been astronomical.
By 1960, 25 to 50 cubic kilometres of river water was being diverted annually for irrigation, and naturally enough, the shoreline began to recede. The mean sea level dropped 20cm (8") per year for 10 years, then the drop rate accelerated to 60cm/year in the 70s, then to almost a metre per year in the 80s.
By 1990, as a result of the continuing water diversion and evaporation, the shrinking Aral divided in two and it's salinity increased from 10 grams per litre to 45. In some parts of the south Aral, salinity tops out at 98 g/litre (2001). Average seawater salinity is 33 g/litre. The once thriving fishing industry has been destroyed along with the fish and most of the flora and fauna. Salt pans and contaminated runoff lakes have appeared, and winters have become harsher and longer, summers hotter and shorter.
Attempts in 1992 and 1997 to build the 14 km long Karateren-Kokaral dyke between the north and the south Aral (the south being abandoned, the north reflooded) was successful for 9 and 12 months until they were both breached by the weight of the water, and the fact that only enough money was available to build an inherently weak sand structure. This same plan, using concrete, has been revived in 2003 by the Kazakh government.
Vozrozdeniya Island -growing larger since 1960, joined the mainland in 2001, and added another cruel ingredient to the Aral disaster. Vozrozdeniya was a Soviet Army research and biological weapons facility until 1992, dealing reportedly in anthrax and other nasties that now have the potential to migrate. Ironically, Vozrozdeniya is Russian for 'rebirth' or 'renaissance'.
The area is now constantly subject to toxic duststorms and desertification, the people of the area have 9 times the world average rate for throat cancer, and infant/maternity mortality is the highest in all of the former Soviet Union's republics. Respiratory complications, tuberculosis and eye diseases are also rising alarmingly.
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pezking4
       
Location: Raleigh, NC
Gender: Male
| | Re: aral sea
<Reply # 1 on 9/24/2007 4:11 AM >
| | | | amazing! the write up was very informative and the pictures just make me wish I could be there in person.
I become capability. I become the horror. What we know we can become only in our heart of darkness. It's my gift. It's my curse. |
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msgsudz
Location: Peterborough, Ontario
Gender: Male
Msgsudz has an overactive bowel and shits like a Clydesdale.
| |  | Re: aral sea
<Reply # 2 on 9/24/2007 4:12 AM >
| | | | wow. thanks for sharing this, along with the haunting photos.
"She's built like a steakhouse, but handles like a bistro!" - Zapp Brannigan
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pezking4
Location: Raleigh, NC
Gender: Male
| | Re: aral sea
<Reply # 3 on 9/24/2007 4:33 AM >
| | | | The images on Google earth are interesting as well. Plenty of wrecked ships are marked as well as the bio warfare facility.
I become capability. I become the horror. What we know we can become only in our heart of darkness. It's my gift. It's my curse. |
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NickSan
RIP
Location: Portland Or.
Gender: Male
UER newbie
| | | Re: aral sea
<Reply # 4 on 9/24/2007 4:35 AM >
| | | | Posted by TDK1000
Vozrozdeniya was a Soviet Army research and biological weapons facility until 1992, dealing reportedly in anthrax and other nasties
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It comes up real nice on Google Earth
http://www.darkviews.com/
http://www.myspace.com/nicksan62
“Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night.� |
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desmet
When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.
| |  | | Re: aral sea
<Reply # 5 on 9/24/2007 5:56 AM >
| | | | That last photo is breathtaking. Really interesting read.
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ThunderRazor
Location: Wood County, West Virginia
Gender: Male
What personal text?
| | Re: aral sea
<Reply # 6 on 9/24/2007 6:45 AM >
| | | | That was simply amazing. All of the pictures, especially the last one, look like something out of a post apocalyptic Earth.
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blitz
Location: Cumberland, ME
Good news!
| | | Re: aral sea
<Reply # 7 on 9/24/2007 2:57 PM >
| | | | those are pretty sick
i wonder if atlantis is in there somewhere
I may not believe in marriage, but I do believe in best men. |
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Seemoo
Location: Berkeley, CA
Gender: Male
| | | Re: aral sea
<Reply # 8 on 9/25/2007 5:36 AM >
| | | | Awesome.
I think the last picture is from the "Skeleton Coast National Park" in Namibia, Africa.
http://www.synergi...africa-namibia.php (Scroll down ~halfway)
Love that image tho.
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Tupsumato
Location: Finland
Gender: Male
How close can you go?
| | Re: aral sea
<Reply # 9 on 9/25/2007 6:09 AM >
| | | | Posted by Seemoo
I think the last picture is from the "Skeleton Coast National Park" in Namibia, Africa. |
The ship pictured is Eduard Bohlen, which ran aground on Skeleton Coast in 1909. That ship sinking in the sand is just so surreal...
[last edit 9/25/2007 6:17 AM by Tupsumato - edited 2 times]
All information and details given in good faith but not guaranteed! |
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Photo Explorer
Gender: Male
| | | Re: aral sea
<Reply # 10 on 9/25/2007 11:31 AM >
| | | | all I can say is WOW
Honestly Officer I was just taking pictures |
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90rock
Location: Calgary
Gender: Male
| | Re: aral sea
<Reply # 11 on 9/25/2007 12:54 PM >
| | | | Sad but true, I gotta make a huge agenda for the former USSR
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Gepanzerte Made
Location: Waltham, MA
Gender: Female
| | | Re: aral sea
<Reply # 12 on 9/26/2007 9:26 PM >
| | | | Oh man, I would kill to see something like that. I used to know a girl from Tajikistan and she traveled extensively, so I wonder if she ever came across this.
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Hirnduebel
Location: Anygerm
Gender: Male
Keep forehead shaven for easy use
| |  | | Re: aral sea
<Reply # 13 on 9/26/2007 11:22 PM >
| | | | I remember seeing an old documentary about it in geography in school years back... I loved it, it was a very broken tape as well and had a scary soundscape. I remember the rusty ships as well... they look beautiful, would be a totally different place to explore...
But there's two different kinds. There's bad asbestos, and there's nice asbestos. Anyway, it grows on you. |
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Wendisimo
Location: PA
| | Re: aral sea
<Reply # 14 on 9/26/2007 11:32 PM >
| | | | That would be something to see. From what I've read before the water seems to be making a slow comeback due to a dam that was built.
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SteamPunk
Location: Sailing the seas of sleaze.
| | Re: aral sea
<Reply # 15 on 9/27/2007 9:55 AM >
| | | | I found that last pic you have there a few weeks ago...it's high res...and makes a great screen saver.
I used to be with it, but then they changed what it was. Now what I'm with isn't it, and what's it seems weird and scary to me, and it'll happen to you, too! |
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Tupsumato
Location: Finland
Gender: Male
How close can you go?
| | Re: aral sea
<Reply # 16 on 9/27/2007 1:10 PM >
| | | | Posted by HypnoToad
I found that last pic you have there a few weeks ago...it's high res...and makes a great screen saver.
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Link?
All information and details given in good faith but not guaranteed! |
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valix22
Location: Romania, different corner each day
Gender: Male
| |  | Re: aral sea
<Reply # 17 on 9/29/2007 12:07 PM >
| | | | This is a page with more info on the Aral Sea (there are 4 galleries at the bottom of the page under the russian translation):
http://www.uzland.info/aral/
E=MC square
Romania=UE heaven.
Both as obvious, both as true. |
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istakebroad
Location: Arkansas
Gender: Male
| |  | | | Re: aral sea
<Reply # 18 on 9/29/2007 1:51 PM >
| | | | Wonderful post... can't believe I didn't see this sooner!
War is an intergalactic language. We're all fluent, but some of us speak it natively. |
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Shawn W.
Location: Niagara Falls, NY
Gender: Male
Optimistic Pessimist
| | | | Re: aral sea
<Reply # 19 on 10/5/2007 4:15 PM >
| | | | It's really sad how badly the Aral Sea was affected.
What is a rebel? A man who says no. - Albert Camus |
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