North Aral Sea
| North Aral Sea | |
|---|---|
1. Shevchenko Bay, 2. Butakov Bay, 3. Bolshoy Saryshyganak Bay | |
| 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 |
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 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.