MSGID: 1:317/3 6421d9bf   
   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   March 27, 2023 - Ice receding on the North Aral Sea   
      
      Ice receding on the North Aral Sea   
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      On March 23, 2023, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer   
      (MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of   
      a sun-filled early spring day over southern Kazakhstan.   
      
      Winters in the region bring sub-zero cold and copious snow, while the   
      dry, hot summers frequently register temperatures over 110˚F (40˚C). By   
      late March, the rapid transition between extremes is well underway. The   
      North Aral Sea provides the most obvious sign of the seasonal change.   
      While most of the lake is covered in ice, the waters near the northern   
      shores are ice-free thanks to rising temperatures and lengthening   
      daylight.   
      
      Patches of snow-like white that are scattered across the arid tan land   
      surrounding the North Aral Sea are not snow, but highly-reflective   
      mineral crusts left after the water in the once-large lake evaporated   
      over the last several decades. This is especially noticeable south of   
      the south of the North Aral Sea, in the very recently desiccated seabed   
      of the South Aral Sea. A bit of blue along the southwestern (lower   
      left) edge of the image shows water in the northern tip of the western   
      arm of the South Aral Sea.   
      
      Once large and vibrant, the Aral Sea has been shrinking since the   
      1960s, and in 2007 it separated into three distinct basins. Today, some   
      water remains in the North Aral Sea and in the in the western basin of   
      the South Aral Sea. The desiccated eastern basin of the South Aral Sea   
      is now sometimes referred to as the Aralkum Desert, one of the newest   
      deserts on Earth.   
      
      Image Facts   
      Satellite:  Terra   
      Date Acquired: 3/23/2023   
      Resolutions:  1km (145.2 KB),  500m (376.3 KB),  250m (240.7   
      KB)   
      Bands Used: 1,4,3   
      Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC   
      
      
      
   https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2023-03-27   
       
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