A Dust Case Study of the Aral Sea Syndrome

Abstract

Since the desiccation of the Aral Sea has taken place, the formation of dust and sandstorms from the dry lake bottom was expected. Only a few studies about this problem were known, and concrete analyses of both the deflation and the deposition rates of dust were missing. The aim of our study was the analysis of the spatial and temporal dynamics of dust deposition. From 2003 till 2012 such a dust monitoring was carried out in the Turan Lowland. The detected spatial and temporal dust deposition variabilities were significant and encouraged further studies. The dust deposition increased over time, which correlates with a decreasing trend in precipitation, increasing wind speeds and a shift towards northern winds. More than 50% of all dust samples collected exceed the health based deposition threshold and the most intense dust storm events reached ground level deposition rates of up to 150 g/m² per hour. This study showed the impact of the Aralkum, but also that the Kyzylkum is a far more active dust source. With regard to climate change and an increasing aridity in the region, it can be expected that the Aeolian dust transport will continue to increase.