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Catastrophic flood of the Mediterranean after the Messinian salinity crisis

Author

Listed:
  • D. Garcia-Castellanos

    (Institut de Ciències de la Terra Jaume Almera, CSIC, Solé i Sabarís s/n, Barcelona, Spain)

  • F. Estrada

    (Institut de Ciències del Mar, CSIC, Passg. Marítim Barceloneta, 37-49, Barcelona, Spain)

  • I. Jiménez-Munt

    (Institut de Ciències de la Terra Jaume Almera, CSIC, Solé i Sabarís s/n, Barcelona, Spain)

  • C. Gorini

    (Université Pierre et Marie Curie (UPMC) Paris 06,
    CNRS, UMR 7193, ISTEP, F-75005, Paris, France)

  • M. Fernàndez

    (Institut de Ciències de la Terra Jaume Almera, CSIC, Solé i Sabarís s/n, Barcelona, Spain)

  • J. Vergés

    (Institut de Ciències de la Terra Jaume Almera, CSIC, Solé i Sabarís s/n, Barcelona, Spain)

  • R. De Vicente

    (Institut de Ciències de la Terra Jaume Almera, CSIC, Solé i Sabarís s/n, Barcelona, Spain)

Abstract

Taken at the flood Around 5.6 million years ago the Mediterranean Sea became disconnected from the world's oceans and during the period that followed, known as the Messinian salinity crisis, sea levels fell dramatically as the waters evaporated. The water returned, about 5.3 million years ago, but the details about this, the largest known flood in Earth's history, remain sketchy. A study making use of boreholes, seismic data and numerical modelling suggests that it was a catastrophic event: though it started as a trickle that may have lasted several thousand years, as much as 90% of the incoming water was transferred in less than two years. Such an abrupt flood may have involved peak rates of sea level rise of more than 10 metres a day.

Suggested Citation

  • D. Garcia-Castellanos & F. Estrada & I. Jiménez-Munt & C. Gorini & M. Fernàndez & J. Vergés & R. De Vicente, 2009. "Catastrophic flood of the Mediterranean after the Messinian salinity crisis," Nature, Nature, vol. 462(7274), pages 778-781, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:462:y:2009:i:7274:d:10.1038_nature08555
    DOI: 10.1038/nature08555
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    Cited by:

    1. J. F. Dewey & J. Goff & P. D. Ryan, 2021. "The origins of marine and non-marine boulder deposits: a brief review," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 109(2), pages 1981-2002, November.
    2. Xianghu Li & Qi Zhang & Chong-Yu Xu & Xuchun Ye, 2015. "The changing patterns of floods in Poyang Lake, China: characteristics and explanations," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 76(1), pages 651-666, March.
    3. Chengjing Nie & Hairong Li & Linsheng Yang & Shaohong Wu & Yi Liu & Yongfeng Liao, 2012. "Spatial and temporal changes in flooding and the affecting factors in China," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 61(2), pages 425-439, March.

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