Aral Karakum ( / , ; rus, Приаральские Каракумы, p=prʲɪ(j)ɐˈralʲskʲɪje kərɐˈkumɨ) is a

desert A desert is a landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions create unique biomes and ecosystems. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation. About one-third of the la ...

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the Kazakhstan–Russia border, north and west, China to th ...

, situated northeast of the

Aral Sea The Aral Sea () was an endorheic lake lying between Kazakhstan to its north and Uzbekistan to its south, which began shrinking in the 1960s and had largely dried up into desert by the 2010s. It was in the Aktobe and Kyzylorda regions of Kazakhst ...

. Most of the desert territory is located within the Aral and Kazaly districts of the

Kyzylorda Region Qyzylorda Region (, ; ), formerly known as Kyzyl-Orda Region until 1991, is a region of Kazakhstan. Its capital is the city of Qyzylorda, with a population of 234,736. The region itself has a population of 823,251. Other notable settlements incl ...

. A small sector is part of the southeastern end of the

Aktobe Region Aktobe Region (; ) is a region of Kazakhstan. The name ''Aktobe'' comes from Kazakh ''aq'' 'white' and ''töbe'' 'hill' or 'top (of something)'; supposedly, Aktobe's initial settlers were able to see white mountains far to the north. The Aktobe ...

and the southwestern fringes of the

Karaganda Region Karaganda Region (; ) is a region of Kazakhstan. Its capital is Karaganda. The region borders Akmola and Pavlodar Region to the north, Abai Region to the east, Jetisu, Almaty, and Zhambyl Regions to the south, and Kostanay and Ulytau regio ...

Google Earth Google Earth is a web mapping, web and computer program created by Google that renders a 3D computer graphics, 3D representation of Earth based primarily on satellite imagery. The program maps the Earth by superimposition, superimposing satelli ...

Geography

The desert borders on the

Syr Darya The Syr Darya ( ),; ; ; ; ; /. historically known as the Jaxartes ( , ), is a river in Central Asia. The name, which is Persian language, Persian, literally means ''Syr Sea'' or ''Syr River''. It originates in the Tian Shan, Tian Shan Mountain ...

river to the south. The desert covers an area of . The landscape in the region is quite flat, with a height that varies from

above mean sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level ...

. The

dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, flat ...

s can reach heights of around . The area is very dry, and the dried-out riverbeds usually only carry water during springtime, when the winter snow melts. Annual precipitation is around . Lake

Zhaksykylysh Zhaksykylysh (; ) is a salt lake in Aral District, Kyzylorda Region, Kazakhstan. Table salt is being mined in Zhaksykylysh since 1925. Nowadays the Kyzylorda-based Araltuz company carries out the salt-mining operations. Over 99% of the refined ...

is located in the western part.

Climate

Winter lasts from mid-November to mid-March, with varying cloud cover and frequent

fog Fog is a visible aerosol consisting of tiny water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface. Reprint from Fog can be considered a type of low-lying cloud usually resembling stratus and is heavily influenc ...

. Mean temperature during daytime is , and at night around . The lowest recorded temperature is . However, at any time during winter, mild weather is possible. Precipitation falls mostly in the winter as snow. Snow cover is usually around deep, but can reach . Summer lasts from May to mid-September. Daytime temperatures normally range , but temperatures up to have been recorded. At night, the temperature drops to . During summer, there are often dry winds and

dust storm A dust storm, also called a sandstorm, is a meteorological phenomenon common in arid and semi-arid regions. Dust storms arise when a gust front or other strong wind blows loose sand and dirt from a dry surface. Fine particles are transpo ...

Flora

The Aral Karakum has some vegetation, mainly

grass Poaceae ( ), also called Gramineae ( ), is a large and nearly ubiquitous family (biology), family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos, the grasses of natural grassland and spe ...

es, and it is being used for grazing of

sheep Sheep (: sheep) or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are a domesticated, ruminant mammal typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to d ...

References

{{Deserts Deserts of Central Asia Deserts of Kazakhstan