How the Mediterranean Sea almost disappeared 5 and a half million years ago

6 million years ago, a salinity crisis formed immense salt deposits in the Mediterranean. This “Messinian” crisis had been known for a long time but its evolution remained unclear. Did the salt accumulate slowly in a full sea or did the Mediterranean suddenly dry up?

When the Mediterranean disconnects from the Atlantic

By analyzing chlorine isotopes in salt samples, a new study reveals that the Mediterranean has lost almost 70% of its water mass. This brutal drying took place in two phases. How and why did the Mediterranean Sea almost disappear? Answers with Giovanni Aloisi, research director at the CNRS at the Paris Globe Physics Institute, at Paris Cité University. He is the first author of this study published in Nature Communications.