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Comprehensive Remote Sensing and Ground-Based Studies of the Dried Aral Sea Bed

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Comprehensive Remote Sensing and Ground-Based Studies of the Dried Aral Sea Bed Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ) Interstate Commission for Water Coordination in Central Asia (ICWC) COMPREHENSIVE REMOTE SENSING AND GROUND-BASED STUDIES OF THE DRIED ARAL SEA BED Tashkent 2008 2 Edited by Prof. V.A. Dukhovny, P. Navratil, I. Ruziev, G. Stulina, Ye. Roschenko Reviewer: Dr. V. Sokolov Comprehensive remote sensing and ground-based studies of the dried Aral sea bed, edited by Prof. V.A. Dukhovny - Tashkent: SIC ICWC, 2008. – 172 p. This book presents results from studies of the status and dynamics of the dried Aral seabed, based on ground surveys and remote sensing techniques. It describes environmental consequences and hazards resulting from the shrinking of the Aral Sea and highlights measures aimed at mitigating these hazards. Particular importance is given to the positive effects of afforestation of the former seabed on landscape dynamics and desertification processes. Based on these analyses, proposals are made for follow-up studies and mitigation strategies. The book is intended for environmentalists, agronomists, hydrologists, as well as for students and those concerned about the future of the Aral Sea and the Prearalie. ISBN 9965-32-616-9 © Scientific-Information Center ICWC, 2008 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS................................................................................................................... 3 INDEX OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................................... 5 INDEX OF TABLES......................................................................................................................... 7 LIST OF AUTHORS ........................................................................................................................ 9 1. INTRODUCTION: INTEGRATED REMOTE SENSING AND GROUND SURVEYS ON THE DRIED BED OF THE ARAL SEA: BACKGROUND AND RESEARCH OBJECTIVES ................... 10 2. DESCRIPTION OF THE STUDY AREA....................................................................................... 12 2.1. Aral - Current dynamics and recent research...................................................... 12 2.2. General description of the territory..................................................................... 20 2.3. Climate ................................................................................................................ 20 2.4. Geomorphology .................................................................................................. 22 2.4.1. Geomorphological processes on the desiccated sea bed ......................... 22 2.4.2. Relief of the dried coast........................................................................... 23 2.4.3. Salt accumulation processes in the Aral Sea bed .................................... 24 2.4.4. Landscape changes and emerging ecosystems ........................................ 26 2.5. Soils..................................................................................................................... 34 2.6. Hydrogeology of South Prearalie........................................................................ 39 2.7. Afforestations for erosion prevention – history and current situation ................ 41 3. DATA AND METHODS.............................................................................................................. 44 3.1. Field studies ........................................................................................................ 44 3.1.1. Objectives and scope ............................................................................... 44 3.1.2. Field study methods................................................................................. 45 3.1.3. GIS and remote sensing based preparations of the field campaign......... 49 3.1.4. Expeditions and routes............................................................................. 52 3.2. Remote sensing based land cover mapping ........................................................ 57 3.2.1. Satellite data and required data preprocessing ........................................ 57 3.2.2. Unsupervised classification technique..................................................... 58 3.2.3. Development of the land cover classification scheme............................. 60 3.2.4. Supervised classification technique......................................................... 63 3.2.5. Erosion risk assignment to the land cover classes................................... 69 3.3. Satellite based assessment of afforestation measures ......................................... 71 4. RESULTS ................................................................................................................................. 74 4.1. Summary of the field data collected ................................................................... 74 Soil cover of the studied territory...................................................................... 74 4.1.2. Hydro-geological research results ........................................................... 96 4.1.3. Vegetation cover (general) .................................................................... 100 4.1.4. The state of artificial plantations ........................................................... 104 4.1.5. Impact assessment of the afforestation measures on wind speed and soil erosion ...................................................................................... 110 4.2. Remote sensing based landscape assessment.................................................... 115 4.2.1. Results of the supervised land cover mapping ...................................... 115 4.2.2. Accuracy assessment ............................................................................. 117 4.3. Ecological hazard assessment on basis of the land cover map ......................... 120 4.4. Review of the afforestation measures on the southeastern Aral Sea coast ....... 123 4 5. DISCUSSION........................................................................................................................... 127 5.1. Soil cover dynamics and their effect on the ecological hazard .........................127 5.2. Measures for the mitigation of the negative consequences of the Aral Sea desiccation ................................................................................136 5.2.1. Wetland restoration in southern Prearalie – Case study Sudochie.........136 5.2.2. Suggested strategy and areas for future afforestation measures ............138 5.3. The future of the Aral Sea .................................................................................145 6. CONCLUSIONS ....................................................................................................................... 155 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................ 156 APPENDIX ................................................................................................................................. 160 5 INDEX OF FIGURES Fig. 1: The Aral Sea level dynamics ........................................................................................... 13 Fig. 2: Morphometry of the flow passage between western and eastern bowls of large Aral Sea .............................................................................................................. 16 Fig. 3: Evapotranspiration depending on air temperature, Muinak weather station, 1960-1996........................................................................................................................ 21 Fig. 4: Some dried coast types .................................................................................................... 22 Fig. 5: Locations of the main relief types ................................................................................... 23 Fig. 6: South Prearalie’s landscape map, as of 1990................................................................... 27 Fig. 7: “Landscape Map for the year 2000”, provided by NATO SFP 974101 Project.............. 29 Fig. 8: Distribution of unstable landscapes over South Prearalie – Amu Darya river delta(zone 1 - green color; zone 2 - red color)................................................................. 33 Fig. 9: Lithological structure of overlying strata (Quaternary) layers on the dried bed of the Aral Sea, as of 1993-1996 ..................................................................................... 34 Fig. 10: Soil map as of 1990 (author: Sektimenko) .................................................................... 36 Fig. 11: Location of the wind stations and sediment traps.......................................................... 48 Fig. 12: Wind and erosion measurement stations ....................................................................... 49 Fig. 13: Comparison of planned and actual field survey route ................................................... 50 Fig. 14: Expedition route of the first expedition ......................................................................... 52 Fig. 15: Route of the second expedition...................................................................................... 53 Fig. 16: Route of the third expedition ......................................................................................... 54 Fig. 17: Route of the fourth expedition......................................................................................
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