Iran - Lake Urmia

Third largest salt-water lake in the world, and it is shrinking.

• Lake Urmia is a salt lake in northwestern Iran, near Turkey. The lake is between the provinces of East Azerbaijan and West Azerbaijan, west of the southern portion of the similarly shaped Caspian Sea. It is the largest lake in the Middle East, and the third largest salt water lake on Earth, with a surface area of approximately 5,200 km² (2,000 mile²), 140 km (87 miles) length, 55 km (34 miles) width, and 16 m (52 ft) depth.

• The lake is marked by more than a hundred small rocky islands, which are stopover points in the migrations of various kinds of wild bird life (including flamingos, pelicans, spoonbills, ibises, storks, shelducks, avocets, stilts, and gulls). The second largest island, Kaboudi, is the burial place of Hulagu Khan, the grandson of Genghis Khan and the sacker of Baghdad.

Iran

Lake Urmia

CaspianSea

Black Sea

• By virtue of its high levels of salinity, the lake does not sustain any fish species. Nonetheless, Lake Urmia is considered to be one of the largest natural habitats of Artemia, which serve as food source for the migratory birds such flamingos. Most of the area of the lake is considered a national park.

• ake Urmia has been shrinking for a long time, with an annual evaporation rate of 0.6m to 1m (24 to 39 inches). The lake’s salts are considered to have medical effects, especially as a cure for rheumatism. Lake Urmia is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

1989 2001

Dec. 13, 2009. It is smaller than the previous photos.

Why is this happening here and at the Caspian Sea, Aral Sea, Great Salt Lake, Lake Chad, etc.?

• Most of these are remnants of much larger inland seas and lakes formed 10,000 or more years ago when the continental glaciers were melting at the end of the last ice age.

• The amount of water flowing in has decreased over the years because the continental glaciers are gone. Factor in the decreasing flow of water in and the constant evaporation rate and the result is shrinkage and elimination (like the Bonneville Salt Flats – a former inland sea).

• In many cases, humans have diverted water from the feeder rivers for irrigated agriculture which further decreases the amount of water flowing in.

• Global warming may also increase the evaporation rate.