The Messinian Abyss: Terraforming the Mediterranean into Earth's Deepest Oven
🏜️ The Messinian Abyss: Terraforming the Mediterranean into Earth's Deepest Oven Welcome back to The Worldsee. In our #IFGeography series, we have pushed mountains into the stratosphere and transformed Antarctica into the White Sahara. Today, we leave the ice behind and return to the cradle of human civilization, only to erase its defining feature: the Mediterranean Sea. Roughly 5.9 million years ago, tectonic movements sealed the Strait of Gibraltar, cutting off the Mediterranean from the Atlantic Ocean. Under the intense sun, the sea completely evaporated, leaving behind a 5-kilometer-deep basin of salt. This was known as the Messinian Salinity Crisis . Today, we are resurrecting this apocalyptic event and making it permanent. Let’s explore the terrifying geography and climate of the Messinian Abyss —a 2.5 million square kilometer canyon separating Europe and Africa, standing as the deepest, hottest, and heaviest environment on land. 1. The Pressure Cooker: A New Atmospheric L...