Question

2.predict what do you think the data for the aral sea surface area might look like in 2020? why?

Explanation:

The Aral Sea had been shrinking drastically since the mid-20th century due to diversion of its feeder rivers for irrigation. By 2020, the trend of rapid surface area decline would have continued, with the sea reduced to small, isolated residual lakes (the Northern Aral Sea partially recovered due to restoration efforts, but the Southern Aral Sea remained mostly dried up). This is driven by sustained water diversion for agriculture, lack of sufficient inflow to replenish the sea, and limited large-scale restoration for the larger southern basin.

Answer:

In 2020, the Aral Sea's surface area would have been extremely small, consisting of a partially recovered small Northern Aral Sea and mostly dried-up, fragmented Southern Aral Sea. This is because long-term diversion of its main feeder rivers for irrigation continued to drastically reduce inflow, with only limited restoration efforts helping the smaller northern basin.