New Insights into the Messinian Salinity Crisis Reveal Mediterranean's Massive Water Loss

Scientists have identified the phases and mechanisms behind the Mediterranean Sea's dramatic transformation into a salt basin 5 million years ago.

The Messinian Salinity Crisis, occurring between 5.97 and 5.33 million years ago, led to the Mediterranean losing up to 70% of its water volume.
Researchers used chlorine isotopes from seabed salt to uncover two distinct phases of extreme evaporation and salt accumulation.
In the first phase, lasting about 35,000 years, salt deposition was limited to the eastern Mediterranean due to restricted outflow to the Atlantic.
The second phase involved rapid evaporation across the entire Mediterranean, causing sea levels to drop by up to 2.1 km in less than 10,000 years.
This geological event triggered volcanic eruptions and had global climatic impacts due to the massive depression of the sea basin.