Lake Urmia

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/lake-urmia

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the location?Northwestern Iran, situated in the Urmia Basin
2. What is the conservation status?Critically endangered due to severe shrinkage, impacting biodiversity and regional socio-economics
3. Why is Lake Urmia so salty?The lake is very salty because it is in a dry area where lots of water evaporates. When the water leaves, the salts stay behind and build up over time.
4. How do birds use Lake Urmia?Millions of migratory birds visit Lake Urmia to eat tiny shrimp called brine shrimp. These shrimp are the main food for flamingos, pelicans, ducks, and other birds that stop there on their long journeys.

Endorheic Basin: A closed drainage basin that retains water and allows no outflow to other external bodies of water, such as rivers or oceans.
Hypersaline: Characterized by an extremely high concentration of salt, significantly exceeding that of typical seawater.
Central Asian Flyway: One of the major migratory routes for birds, spanning across Asia and parts of Europe, connecting breeding grounds to wintering areas.
Salinization: The process by which soil or water becomes salty, often due to evaporation or irrigation practices.