This is a time lapse GIF of Lake Urmia in Iran from 1984 to 2018. At its greatest extent, it was the largest lake in the Middle East and the sixth-largest saltwater lake on Earth, with a surface area of approximately 2,000 square miles, a length of 87 miles, a width of 34 miles, and a maximum depth of 52 ft.

As you can see, the Lake has shrunk to approximately 10% of its former size in the last 30 years. Climate change has intensified droughts in the area and elevated hot summer temperatures that speed up evaporation, scientists say. Additionally, the lake is suffering from thousands of illegal wells and a proliferation of dams and irrigation projects that are diverting water from tributary rivers to grow apples, wheat, and sunflowers.

“The flamingos that feasted on brine shrimp in this UNESCO biosphere reserve are mostly gone. So are the pelicans, the egrets, and the ducks. Even the tourists who flocked to Lake Urmia for therapeutic baths in its warm, hypersaline waters are staying away.”

While we deploy time lapse cameras around the world and capture footage, we will conduct research of historical still and satellite images in the meantime, that highlight how climate change has impacted our planet. To help fund our mission and the creation of beautiful video highlighting the impact of rarely before seen climate change processes, click here to donate.