The desert north of the Caspian Sea and southeast of the Volga Upland is the Ryn Desert.
The Ryn Desert, also known as the Ryn-Peski or Naryn-Qūmy Desert, lies in western Kazakhstan and Russia’s Astrakhan Oblast. It is positioned west of the Ural River, within the broad Caspian lowland region. The question’s geographic description is especially useful because the desert’s boundaries are loosely defined and maps do not always show exactly the same outline.
The region is a semi-arid sandy landscape with scattered settlements and very low population density. Its surface lies in a low-lying part of the Caspian Depression, with elevations ranging from below sea level to roughly 100 metres. Summers can be intensely hot, while winters may be severe, reflecting the area’s strongly continental climate.
The Ryn Desert is also notable for long-range dust transport. A major dust storm in 2001 was traced toward the Baltic region, and research found that airborne particles from the Ryn area influenced Scandinavian aerosol concentrations. It is sometimes confused with Central Asian deserts such as the Betpak-Dala, Muyunkum, or Saryesik-Atyrau, but those lie farther east or south.