Letolle R. Uzboy and the Aral regressions: A hydrological approach

Quaternary International 173-174 (2007) 125-136
The Uzboy is an enigmatic dry river channel in Western Central Asia. This 750km long channel regained life on several occasions after
the end of the Wu¨ rm glaciation (about 11,000 years BC), due to climatic episodes more humid than today and/or human deviations of
the main course of the Amu Darya towards the west. Much of the Amu annual flow was diverted elsewhere. The discharge of Amu Darya
in the Zaunguz desert accounts for the tens of km3 of water the Uzboy was unable to convey away.
It appears reasonable to conclude that the Amu Darya could not carry more than 20–30km3 per year to the Sary Kamysh lake, due to
the channel cross-section at Daryalyk and Daudan Darya, at a time when the total water output of Amu Darya to Aral was about
60–70km3 per year.