Aral Sea from space: 1989 to 2026
One of the largest lakes on Earth, mostly gone. Drag the handle to compare 1989 (Landsat) with 2026 (Sentinel-2).
19892026
Explore Aral Sea in the satellite tool → Every year since 1989, radar, temperature, change maps and more.
Land cover around the centre
1989-09-09
- Dense vegetation0%
- Healthy vegetation0%
- Sparse vegetation0%
- Bare ground0%
- Water / built-up100%
2026-11-01
- Dense vegetation0%
- Healthy vegetation0%
- Sparse vegetation0%
- Bare ground100%
- Water / built-up0%
Plant-health classes (NDVI) over roughly 10 km around the centre, clouds removed. Landsat and Sentinel-2 differ slightly in resolution; read the shares as a trend, not a survey.
How to read it
The left image is a Landsat scene from 1989-09-09, 30 metres per pixel. The right is a Sentinel-2 scene from 2026-11-01, 10 metres per pixel. Both are true colour: what a person would see from orbit. Sand is pale, water dark, vegetation green, cities grey.
In the satellite tool you can step through every year in between, switch to plant health, water, burn or surface temperature, draw an area to measure what changed, and watch the place for new passes.
More places from space
Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2026 · Landsat courtesy USGS · via Microsoft Planetary Computer.