The Aral Sea in Central Asia is a man-made ecological disaster. - TopicsExpress

The Aral Sea in Central Asia is a man-made ecological disaster. Once the fourth largest inland sea in the world, it has almost completely dried up, and toxins once settled on the bottom now blow in the wind. It has also created a mystery: lower lake levels have exposed ancient irrigation systems and mausoleums surrounded by settlements (some remains of which are still under water), built during the late Middle Ages. This means that in certain parts of the Aral, lake levels during 13th-14th century must have been lower.