Why the Mediterranean Sea Is Saltier than the Atlantic
The incredibly clear water at Skala, on Agistri. Credit: Margaritaprounia /Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 3.0
The Mediterranean Sea is one of the most storied and lovely bodies of water anywhere in the world and it is also one of the saltiest.
Almost completely enclosed by land, the “wine-dark sea” of Homer has played a central role in the history of Western civilization.
” width=”1080″>Geological evidence tells us that approximately 5.9 million years ago, the Mediterranean was cut off from the Atlantic and was partly or completely desiccated over a period of some 600,000 years during what is called the “Messinian salinity crisis” before being refilled by the Zanclean flood about 5.3 million years ago.
Why the Mediterranean is One of the Saltiest Seas in the World
” width=”1024″>The crystal clear water at Skala, on the Greek island of Agistri. Credit: Margaritaprounia /Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 3.0
The Mediterranean Sea is one of the most storied and lovely bodies of water anywhere in the world and it is also one of the saltiest.
Almost completely enclosed by land, the “wine-dark sea” of Homer has played a central role in the history of Western civilization.
” width=”1080″>Geological evidence tells us that approximately 5.9 million years ago, the Mediterranean was cut off from the Atlantic and was partly or completely desiccated over a period of some 600,000 years during what is called the “Messinian salinity crisis” before being refilled by the Zanclean flood about 5.3 million years ago.