The change in soil cover on the exposed bed of the Aral Sea

Abstract

Desiccation of the Aral Sea has led to the formation of new soil cover on the exposed seabed. Investigation of the newly formed dry land is very important since it is a source of dust storms and salts transferred to long distances. A soil map of the exposed seabed for 2000 has been produced on the basis of the map for the year 1990 (Institute of Soil Science, Uzbekistan), satellite images, and selected field observations of groundwater table. During the period 1990–2000, the sea recessed 20–32 km, thus changing the soil cover characteristics. The maps of soil cover with the detailed information on soil textures, the characterization of soil types, the soil formation trends, and the changes in soil types during the sea recession process are available. Attention has been paid to erosion tendencies and susceptibility to dust and salt transfers. As a whole, the soil cover was formed as a result of the replacement of excessive wetlands (salt-marsh), located in the form of strip along the sea, by hydromorphic and semi-hydromorphic, semi-automorphic and automorphic soils. The drying seabed has complicated lithological and morphologic composition. The territory of the exposed seabed is characterized by different hydrological conditions. Groundwater depth varies from 0.5 to 10 m. With the shore's recession, the water storage groundwater is approaching the surface. With general tendency towards desertification, the initial soil cover changes. The soils that did not reach the complete genetic formation, under the influence of quickly changing hydrogeological conditions, are transformed into the other types and subtypes. Often, while becoming dry, they are self-destructed and change into sands. Currently, the following types of soils are observed on the exposed seabed: automorphic solonchaks, semi-automorphic solonchaks, semi-hydromorphic solonchaks, hydromorphic solonchaks, desert sandy soils, sands.