| North Aral Sea | |
|---|---|
 1. Shevchenko Bay, 2. Butakov Bay, 3. Bolshoy Saryshyganak Bay | |
  North Aral Sea  North Aral Sea | |
| Location | Kazakhstan, Central Asia |
| Coordinates | 46°30′N 60°42′E / 46.5°N 60.7°E |
| Type | endorheic, natural lake, reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Syr Darya (previously also the Amu Darya) |
| Basin countries | Kazakhstan |
| Surface area | 3,300 km2 (1,270 sq mi) (2008) 2,550 km2 (985 sq mi) (2003) |
| Max. depth | 30 m (98 ft) (2003) 42 m (138 ft) (2008) |
| Official name | Lesser Aral Sea and Delta of the Syrdarya River |
| Designated | 2 February 2012 |
| Reference no. | 2083[1] |
The North Aral Sea (Kazakh: Soltüstık Aral teñızı) is the portion of the former Aral Sea that is fed by the Syr Darya River. It split from the South Aral Sea in 1987–1988[2] as water levels dropped due to river diversion for agriculture.
In 1925 a large site containing numerous fossils of the Oligocene was discovered near the village of Akespe by the northern shore of the Aral Sea.[3][4]
- ^ "Lesser Aral Sea and Delta of the Syrdarya River". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
devastwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Aral fossil fauna // Kazakhstan National Encyclopedia. Almaty: Kazakh encyclopedias, 2004. - T. I. ISBN 9965-9389-9-7
- ^ Collection: Akespe Aral, Kyzylorda Region, Kazakhstan