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Scientists Reveal That the Mediterranean Dried Up 5.5 Million Years Ago, Losing 70% of Its Water! A Geological Event That Shaped the History of the Earth.
Research shows that the Mediterranean Sea lost up to 70% of its water during the so-called Messinian Salinity Crisis. This geological event transformed the sea into a salty desert for hundreds of thousands of years.
If it were today, the lost water would be enough to fill billions of Olympic swimming pools or sustain entire countries for decades. The discovery emphasizes how extreme natural changes have marked the history of the Earth.
The Seabed Turned Into Cracked Ground
During the period known as the Messinian Crisis, the Strait of Gibraltar closed. Cut off from the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean began to evaporate rapidly.
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Large areas became dry, revealing canyons and salt flats. The transformation lasted about 600,000 years and changed the entire regional geography.
Unimaginable Amount of Water
It is estimated that over 3 million km³ of water evaporated during this period. That would be enough to fill around 100 billion Olympic swimming pools or supply Brazil for centuries.
The volume also altered global sea levels by dozens of meters.
A Sea Bottled in Time
With evaporation, salt deposits hundreds of meters thick formed on the seabed. Today, these layers help scientists understand the climatic dynamics of the time.
They also serve as unique geological markers. The remains are preserved under the replenished water millions of years later.
When the Atlantic Returned to Invade
The cycle only ended when the waters of the Atlantic broke through the strait again. This caused the megareconnection, one of the largest floods in the history of the planet.
The Mediterranean Sea was filled in such an intense event that shaped the current relief. This episode continues to be the subject of studies because of its impressive scale.
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