Lake Urmia: A Hypersaline Waterbody in a Drying Climate

This book provides a holistic review of the environmental status of Lake Urmia in terms of its hydrodynamic, chemical, and ecological properties. Lake Urmia is a shallow landlocked hypersaline water body located in the northwest part of Iran, and it is known as one of the largest continental salt lakes in the world. Divided into 16 chapters, the book gathers leading experts from various scientific disciplines, and it covers past and current characteristics of the lake and traces projections on how the water quantity, quality, chemical, and ecological state of Lake Urmia Basin can develop in the future. The book outcomes are based on the analyses of the data of observations and unique models that were elaborated for the Lake Urmia system development studies. Particular attention is given to the basin drought in response to anthropogenic drivers and environmental pressures such as climate variability and climate change and their impact on the aquatic environment. The impact of water conveyance on Lake Urmia to improve the physical, chemical, and biological natural state is also discussed in this book, where an intensive and challenging observation plan in this harsh environment is combined with uniquely coupled and adopted hydrodynamical-biogeochemical models. Given its scope, the book offers an invaluable source of information for researchers, students, and environmental managers interested in the Lake Urmia environment.