ESTIMATION OF THE AGE OF CONTEMPORARY LANDSCAPES IN THE SOUTHERN ARAL SEA REGION

The results of the interpretation of space imagery make it possible to conclude that contemporary landscapes in the southern Aral Sea region are relatively young. A general section devoted to the methodology of using space imagery to compile maps of the age of contemporary landscapes precedes a description of the procedures used to determine the age of landscapes in the southern Aral Sea region. The latter procedures are based on information derived from a variety of sources, including knowledge of the duration of various stages of plant succession following abandonment of irrigated fields, archaeological data, ancient maps, and multitemporal space photographs. Excerpts from space imagery and interpretation maps are presented. Translated by Dorothy B. Vitaliano, Bloomington, IN 47408 from: Geografiya i prirodnyye resursy, 1995, No. 2, pp. 96-108.