List of drying lakes

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Satellite imagery over Iran from 1984 to 2014 revealing Lake Urmia's diminishing surface area

A number of natural lakes throughout the world are drying or completely dry due to irrigation or urban use diverting inflow.[1][2]

List of drying lakes
Lake name Location Coordinates Original size as of Reduced size as of References
Aral Sea Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan 45°N 60°E / 45°N 60°E / 45; 60 (Aral Sea) 68,000 km2 (26,000 sq mi) 1960 14,280 km2 (5,510 sq mi) 2010 [3]
Lake Chad Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria 13°00′N 14°30′E / 13.0°N 14.5°E / 13.0; 14.5 (Lake Chad) 22,000 km2 (8,500 sq mi) 1966 300 km2 (120 sq mi) 2006 [4]
Qinghai Lake China 37°00′N 100°06′E / 37.0°N 100.1°E / 37.0; 100.1 (Qinghai Lake) 6,000 km2 (2,300 sq mi) 4,543 km2 (1,754 sq mi) 2020 [5][6][7]
Lake Urmia Iran 37°42′N 45°24′E / 37.7°N 45.4°E / 37.7; 45.4 (Lake Urmia) 5,000 km2 (1,900 sq mi) 2,820 km2 (1,090 sq mi) 2021 [8]
Great Salt Lake Utah, U.S. 41°12′N 112°30′W / 41.2°N 112.5°W / 41.2; -112.5 (Great Salt Lake) 4,400 km2 (1,700 sq mi) 1980s 2,500 km2 (950 sq mi) 2021 [9][10]
Poyang Lake Jiangxi, China 29°06′N 116°18′E / 29.1°N 116.3°E / 29.1; 116.3 (Poyang Lake) 3,500 km2 (1,400 sq mi) 200 km2 (77 sq mi) 2012 [11]
Lake Poopó Bolivia 18°36′S 67°06′W / 18.6°S 67.1°W / -18.6; -67.1 (Lake Poopó) 3,000 km2 (1,200 sq mi) 0 2015 [12]
Hamun Lake Irano-Afghan border 30°48′N 61°42′E / 30.8°N 61.7°E / 30.8; 61.7 (Hamun Lake) 2,000 km2 (770 sq mi) 0 2002 [13]
Lop Nur Xinjiang, China 40°30′N 90°30′E / 40.5°N 90.5°E / 40.5; 90.5 (Lop Nur) 2,000 km2 (770 sq mi) 1950s 0 1970 [14]
Tulare Lake California, U.S. 36°00′N 119°48′W / 36.0°N 119.8°W / 36.0; -119.8 (Tulare Lake) 1,800 km2 (690 sq mi) 1880

5.2 km2 (2 sq mi)

2023 [15]
Lake Chapala Mexico 20°12′N 103°00′W / 20.2°N 103.0°W / 20.2; -103.0 (Lake Chapala) 1,048 km2 (405 sq mi) 1986 812 km2 (314 sq mi) 2001 [16]
Dead Sea Israel, Jordan, and Palestine 31°30′N 35°30′E / 31.5°N 35.5°E / 31.5; 35.5 (Dead Sea) 1,030 km2 (400 sq mi) 1960 605 km2 (234 sq mi) 2016 [17][18]
Lake Ebinur Xinjiang, China 44°54′N 83°00′E / 44.9°N 83°E / 44.9; 83 (Lake Ebi) 1,000 km2 (390 sq mi) 1955 500 km2 (190 sq mi) 2014 [19][20]
Salton Sea California, U.S. 33°18′N 115°48′W / 33.3°N 115.8°W / 33.3; -115.8 (Salton Sea) 940 km2 (363 sq mi) 2003 832 km2 (321 sq mi) 2022 [21][22]
Lake Faguibine Mali 16°42′N 4°00′W / 16.7°N 4.0°W / 16.7; -4.0 (Lake Faguibine) 590 km2 (230 sq mi) 1974 0 2000 [23]
Pyramid Lake Nevada, U.S. 40°06′N 119°36′W / 40.1°N 119.6°W / 40.1; -119.6 (Pyramid Lake) 510 km2 (125,000 acres) [24][25]
Lake Amik Turkey 36°18′N 36°18′E / 36.3°N 36.3°E / 36.3; 36.3 (Lake Amik) 300–350 km2 (120–140 sq mi) 1950s 0 2012 [26]
Lake Cuitzeo Michoacán, Mexico 19°56′N 101°05′W / 19.93°N 101.08°W / 19.93; -101.08 (Lake Cuitzeo) 300 km2 (120 sq mi) 1941 [27]
Owens Lake California, U.S. 36°26′N 117°57′W / 36.43°N 117.95°W / 36.43; -117.95 (Owens Lake) 280 km2 (110 sq mi) 1913 0 1926 [28]
Walker Lake Nevada, U.S. 38°41′N 118°44′W / 38.69°N 118.74°W / 38.69; -118.74 (Walker Lake) 277.1 km2 (68,480 acres) 1882 130.3 km2 (32,190 acres) 2005 [29]
Alan Nur Xinjiang, China 45°48′N 85°56′E / 45.80°N 85.93°E / 45.80; 85.93 (Alan Nur) 238 km2 (92 sq mi) 1950 0 1970 [30][31]
Mono Lake California, U.S. 38°01′N 119°01′W / 38.02°N 119.01°W / 38.02; -119.01 (Mono Lake) 220 km2 (55,000 acres) 1941 171 km2 (42,300 acres) 2015 [32]
Lake Albert South Australia 35°38′S 139°17′E / 35.63°S 139.28°E / -35.63; 139.28 (Lake Albert) 168 km2 (65 sq mi) [33][34]
Lake Hindmarsh Australia 36°04′S 141°55′E / 36.06°S 141.91°E / -36.06; 141.91 (Lake Hindmarsh) 135 km2 (52 sq mi) 1975 0 2000 [35]
Lake Hula (he) Israel 33°06′N 35°36′E / 33.1°N 35.6°E / 33.1; 35.6 14 km2 (5.4 sq mi) Pre 1950 0 1950s [36]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Pearce, Fred (2006). When the Rivers Run Dry: Water, the Defining Crisis of the Twenty-first Century. Beacon Press. ISBN 9780807085738.
  2. ^ Wurtsbaugh, W; Miller, C; Null, S; et al. (2017). "Decline of the world's saline lakes" (PDF). Nature Geoscience. 10 (11): 816–821. Bibcode:2017NatGe..10..816W. doi:10.1038/ngeo3052.
  3. ^ Gaybullaev, B; Chen, SC; Gaybullaev, D (2012). "Changes in water volume of the Aral Sea after 1960". Appl Water Sci. 2 (4): 285–291. Bibcode:2012ApWS....2..285G. doi:10.1007/s13201-012-0048-z. S2CID 129498432.
  4. ^ Africa's Lakes: Atlas of our changing environment. UNEP. 2006. ISBN 9789280726947.
  5. ^ "Qinghai Lake splits due to deterioration". Chinadaily.com.cn. 2004-02-24. Retrieved 2021-08-09.
  6. ^ 青海湖面积较上年同期增大28平方公里. Xinhua News. 21 May 2020. Archived from the original on 4 May 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  7. ^ "Koko Nor". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2021-12-02.
  8. ^ Schwartzstein, Peter (25 February 2021). "The return of a once-dying lake". BBC.
  9. ^ Carlowicz, Michael (August 18, 2021). "Record Low for Great Salt Lake". NASA Earth Observatory.
  10. ^ Flavelle, Christopher (June 9, 2022). "As the Great Salt Lake Dries Up, Utah Faces An 'Environmental Nuclear Bomb'". New York Times.
  11. ^ Thibault, Harold (2012-01-31). "China's largest freshwater lake dries up". The Guardian.
  12. ^ Torres-Batlló, J; Marti-Cardona, B (January 11, 2021). "Lake Poopó: why Bolivia's second largest lake disappeared – and how to bring it back". The Conversation.
  13. ^ Weier, John (2002-12-13). "From Wetland to Wasteland: the destruction of the Hamoun Oasis". Earth Observatory. NASA.
  14. ^ "Lop Nur". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 2021-11-26.
  15. ^ Wyatt, Dennis (2021-08-28). "Lake that Disappeared". Manteca/Ripon Bulletin.
  16. ^ "Shrinking Lake Chapala". Earth Observatory. NASA. September 14, 2003.
  17. ^ "Dead Sea". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2021-11-28.
  18. ^ "The Dead Sea Is Dying Fast: Is It Too Late to Save It, or Was It Always a Lost Cause?". Haaretz. 7 October 2016. Archived from the original on 22 December 2016.
  19. ^ "Shrinking Lake Ebinur". Earth Observatory. NASA. 25 November 2014. Retrieved 2021-12-01.
  20. ^ Ming'ai, Zhang (November 30, 2007). "Lake shrinks, desert expands". China.org.cn.
  21. ^ Abou-Diwan, Antoine (2013-09-10). "Salton Sea could be worse than Owens Lake". Imperial Valley Press.
  22. ^ "Current Information on the Salton Sea". Pacific Institute. Retrieved 2022-07-14.
  23. ^ "Drying of Lake Faguibine, Mali". Earth Observatory. NASA. August 10, 2008.
  24. ^ Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Truckee Meadows Flood Control Project Nevada, General Reevaluation Report (PDF) (Report). Vol. 1. US Army Corps of Engineers. May 2013. p. 9. Retrieved 2018-11-02.
  25. ^ "Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe". Retrieved 2021-11-30.
  26. ^ Çalişkan, V. Human-Induced Wetland Degradation: A case study of Lake Amik (PDF). Balwois. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 February 2012.
  27. ^ "What was Mexico's second largest lake now a cemetery of abandoned fishboats". Mexico News Daily. April 22, 2021.
  28. ^ Reheis, MC (1997). "Dust deposition downwind of Owens (Dry) Lake, 1991-1994". Journal of Geophysical Research. 102 (D22): 25999–26008. doi:10.1029/97JD01967.
  29. ^ Lopes, TJ; LaRue Smith, J. "Bathymetry of Walker Lake, West-Central Nevada" (PDF). Reston, Virginia: USGS. Scientific Investigations Report 2007–5012.
  30. ^ Cheng, Weiming; Zhou, Chenghu; Li, Jianxin (2005). Research on evolution of Manas Lakes in Xinjiang over last 50 years (PDF). International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing.
  31. ^ Yao, Yonghui; Li, Huiguo (2010), "Tectonic geomorphological characteristics for evolution of the Manas Lake", Journal of Arid Land, 2 (3): 167–173, doi:10.3724/SP.J.1227.2010.00167
  32. ^ "Quick Facts About Mono Lake". Mono Lake Committee. Archived from the original on 2019-08-20. Retrieved 2011-01-27.
  33. ^ "South Australia seeks more Murray River flow from upstream states to fight Lake Albert salinity". ABC Online. 2014-09-02.
  34. ^ Morelli, J (1995). "Search result for 'The Coorong, Lake Alexandrina & Lake Albert – SA063'". Australian Wetland Database. Australian government. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  35. ^ Ker, Peter (2011-01-25). "Parched lake may end 15-year dry". The Age. Retrieved 2016-09-20.
  36. ^ O’Sullivan, Arieh (October 24, 1993). "Pioneering Israelis Parted the 'Sea,' but It Proved an Ecological Mistake : Mideast: Zionists drained a lake and wetlands 40 years ago, transforming a swamp into the Hula Valley. But few crops grew well here, and pollution followed". Associated press.