<P> Formerly one of the four largest lakes in the world with an area of 68,000 km ( 26,300 sq mi ) , the Aral Sea has been steadily shrinking since the 1960s after the rivers that fed it were diverted by Soviet irrigation projects . By 1997 , it had declined to 10 % of its original size , splitting into four lakes -- the North Aral Sea , the eastern and western basins of the once far larger South Aral Sea , and one smaller lake between the North and South Aral Seas . By 2009 , the southeastern lake had disappeared and the southwestern lake had retreated to a thin strip at the western edge of the former southern sea ; in subsequent years , occasional water flows have led to the southeastern lake sometimes being replenished to a small degree . Satellite images taken by NASA in August 2014 revealed that for the first time in modern history the eastern basin of the Aral Sea had completely dried up . The eastern basin is now called the Aralkum Desert . </P>
<P> Formerly one of the four largest lakes in the world with an area of 68,000 km ( 26,300 sq mi ) , the Aral Sea has been steadily shrinking since the 1960s after the rivers that fed it were diverted by Soviet irrigation projects . By 1997 , it had declined to 10 % of its original size , splitting into four lakes -- the North Aral Sea , the eastern and western basins of the once far larger South Aral Sea , and one smaller lake between the North and South Aral Seas . By 2009 , the southeastern lake had disappeared and the southwestern lake had retreated to a thin strip at the western edge of the former southern sea ; in subsequent years , occasional water flows have led to the southeastern lake sometimes being replenished to a small degree . Satellite images taken by NASA in August 2014 revealed that for the first time in modern history the eastern basin of the Aral Sea had completely dried up . The eastern basin is now called the Aralkum Desert . </P>
when did the aral sea start to dry up
when did the aral sea start to dry up
the 1960s
the 1960s