The Aral Sea Environment (The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry, 7)

With remarkable vision, Prof. Otto Hutzinger initiated The Handbook of Envir- mental Chemistry in 1980 and became the founding Editor-in-Chief. At that time, environmental chemistry was an emerging ?eld, aiming at a complete description of the Earth’s environment, encompassing the physical, chemical, biological, and geological transformations of chemical substances occurring on a local as well as a global scale. Environmental chemistry was intended to provide an account of the impact of man’s activities on the natural environment by describing observed changes. While a considerable amount of knowledge has been accumulated over the last three decades, as re?ected in the more than 70 volumes of The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry, there are still many scienti?c and policy challenges ahead due to the complexity and interdisciplinary nature of the ?eld. The series will therefore continue to provide compilations of current knowledge. Contri- tions are written by leading experts with practical experience in their ?elds. The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry grows with the increases in our scienti?c understanding, and provides a valuable source not only for scientists but also for environmental managers and decision-makers. Today, the series covers a broad range of environmental topics from a chemical perspective, including methodol- ical advances in environmental analytical chemistry. Front Matter....Pages i-xii Introduction....Pages 1-9 History of Investigation and Exploration of the Aral Sea....Pages 11-23 Paleogeographical History of the Aral Sea....Pages 25-44 The Aral Sea Under Natural Conditions (Till 1960)....Pages 45-63 Socio-Economic Conditions of the Aral Sea Region Before 1960....Pages 65-73 Reasons for the Environmental and Socio-Economic Crisis....Pages 75-82 Regional Climate Variability....Pages 83-100 Amudarya and Syrdarya Rivers and Their Deltas....Pages 101-121 Physical Oceanography of the Large Aral Sea....Pages 123-145 Satellite Monitoring of the Aral Sea Region....Pages 147-179 Aral Sea Level Variability....Pages 181-193 Ice Conditions from Historical and Satellite Observations....Pages 195-218 Chemistry of the Large Aral Sea....Pages 219-233 Biodiversity....Pages 235-282 Archaeology and Its Relevance to Climate and Water Level Changes: A Review....Pages 283-303 Creeping Environmental Disasters: Central Asia’s Aral Seas....Pages 305-315 Conclusions....Pages 317-327 Back Matter....Pages 329-335 The environmental problems in the Aral Sea region continue to worsen. This volume presents the information gathered to date on various aspects of the Aral Sea environment. Specialists from institutions in Russia, Uzbekistan, France, Germany and the USA cover different topics – from the paleohistory and archaeology of the region, to the present physical, chemical and biological state of the sea, and the analysis of the runoff and deltas of the Amudarya and Syrdarya rivers. Further, the regional climate change is discussed and reasons for the progressing environmental crisis and the socio-economic problems in the region are highlighted. The Aral Sea Environment is addressed to scientists working in the fields of physical oceanography, marine chemistry, biology, and the environmental sciences.