Karakum Desert
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The Karakum Desert, also spelt Qaraqum and Garagum, is the 12th largest desert in the world, located in Central Asia. The name refers to the shale-rich sand beneath the surface. It occupies about 70 p
Sand dunes in the Karakum Desert
The Darvaza gas crater, also known as the Door to Hell, at night in the Karakum Desert
South Aral Sea
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The South Aral Sea is a lake in the basin of the former Aral Sea that formed in 1987 when that body divided in two, due to diversion of river inflow for agriculture. In 2003, the South Aral Sea itself
The Aral Sea in mid-August 2014. The two remaining lakes to the south and west are the remains of the South Aral Sea.
July 2002 – The sea's former bed is visible as lighter-colored areas, the lightest regions representing the most recent retreat.
November 2003 – Much of the Eastern Sea's water has evaporated, the jade green swirls representing sediment in the shallow water.
August 2009 – The Eastern Sea's mud flats have dried further, with only the faintest glimmer of water where it drains into the Western Sea. Barsakelmes Lake appears between the Northern and Western seas.