Britannica
Sources used in this answer
How quickly did Atlantic water refill the Mediterranean basin after the Messinian salinity crisis?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Tertiary Period
Gypsum cones, which resulted from the evaporation of the Mediterranean Sea during the Messinian Salinity Crisis, in the Sorbas basin, Spain.
Following the Messinian salinity crisis, which left the Mediterranean Sea largely isolated and desiccated, the Atlantic Ocean refilled the basin at the beginning of the Zanclean Age.1
Geologic evidence indicates that this refilling occurred rapidly as water rushed through a channel near Gibraltar. It is estimated that approximately 90 percent of the Mediterranean Sea was refilled within just two years. During the period of peak flow, some scientists suggest that sea levels within the basin may have risen by as much as 10 metres (about 33 feet) per day.1