Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Scientists have recorded a steady rise in the earth's surface beneath the drying Aral Sea. As discovered by Chinese and American geologists, the bottom of the former water body is rising due to changes in the Earth's crust and mantle.

Over the past eight decades, the Aral Sea has lost around 1.1 billion tons of water. This colossal loss has caused an effect similar to the uncoiling of a compressed spring: the Earth's crust began to rise. Initially, it was believed that this would be a short-lived and insignificant phenomenon; however, research has shown that the process is still ongoing, with the rise occurring at a rate of about 7 millimeters per year.

The discovery indicates that the consequences of human impact on the environment, including the draining of bodies of water and large-scale construction, may not only affect the climate and ecosystems but also lead to profound geodynamic changes.

Such deformations in the Earth's mantle were previously considered highly unlikely.