History of Investigation and Exploration of the Aral Sea -- Paleogeographical History of the Aral Sea -- The Aral Sea Under Natural Conditions (Till 1960) -- Socio-Economic Conditions of the Aral Sea Region Before 1960 -- Reasons for the Environmental and Socio-Economic Crisis -- Regional Climate Variability -- Amudarya and Syrdarya Rivers and Their Deltas -- Physical Oceanography of the Large Aral Sea -- Satellite Monitoring of the Aral Sea Region -- Aral Sea Level Variability -- Ice Conditions from Historical and Satellite Observations -- Chemistry of the Large Aral Sea -- Biodiversity -- Archaeology and Its Relevance to Climate and Water Level Changes: A Review -- Creeping Environmental Disasters: Central Asia’s Aral Seas -- Conclusions.

The environmental problems in the Aral Sea region continue to worsen. This volume presents the information gathered to date on various aspects of the Aral Sea environment. Specialists from institutions in Russia, Uzbekistan, France, Germany and the USA cover different topics – from the paleohistory and archaeology of the region, to the present physical, chemical and biological state of the sea, and the analysis of the runoff and deltas of the Amudarya and Syrdarya rivers. Further, the regional climate change is discussed and reasons for the progressing environmental crisis and the socio-economic problems in the region are highlighted. The Aral Sea Environment is addressed to scientists working in the fields of physical oceanography, marine chemistry, biology, and the environmental sciences.