The immediate past: A summary of the pre-desiccation state

Abstract

In this chapter, we give a summary of the physical state of the Aral Sea prior to the shallowing onset in 1961. Although we use the present tense throughout the chapter for convenience, the figures and the data presented in this chapter refer to the period from 1911, when instrumental measurements in the Aral Sea began on a more or less regular basis, through to 1960. The drastic changes which have occurred after 1960 are addressed in Chapter 3.