The vanishing Caspian Sea

Scientists from P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, together with colleagues from the Geophysical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Tverskoy State University, conducted large-scale research of changes in the Caspian Sea area from 1993 to 2025, caused by climate warming and declining in the sea level. The results revealed significant morphological and ecological transformations of this enclosed body of water.

The Caspian Sea’s regression began in 1995. In 2025, the sea level reached minus 29.4 meters BS, which was lower than the historical minimum of 1977 (–29.0 meters). ‘From 1996 to 2025, the Caspian Sea’s surface area decreased by 28,644 square kilometers—7.4% of its 1996 size. The sea level declined at an average rate of 8.16 cm per year in 2005-2019, and in 2020-2024, this rate increased to 22.7 cm per year,’ commented Andrey G. Kostyanoy, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Chief Researcher at P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Source: P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences.  
In the photo: the Caspian Sea, Aktau, Kazakhstan, March 2024. Author: Shumeyko N.R., Head of Kaspika Caspian Seals Conservation Agency.