Posted on 02/12/2009 7:51:15 PM PST by SunkenCiv
Approximately five million years ago, the Mediterranean Sea dried up after it was sealed off from the Atlantic Ocean. According to earth scientist Rob Govers of Utrecht University, a reduction in the weight on the Earth's crust led to the Straits of Gibraltar moving upwards. Govers will publish his conclusions in the February issue of the earth sciences journal Geology.
Much like a mattress springs back into shape after you get off it, the Earth's crust moves upwards when sea levels fall. Known as isostasy, this phenomenon explains how the Mediterranean Sea was sealed off from the Atlantic Ocean five million years ago. This 'dam' would remain in place for 170,000 years. Much like today, the rate of evaporation in the Mediterranean Sea five million years ago greatly exceeded the incoming flow of water. As no more water was introduced via the Straits of Gibraltar, the water evaporated and the Mediterranean Sea dried up completely.
Restoration of the connection with the Atlantic OceanAfter being separated for 170,000 years, the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean were once again connected. Govers believes that the movement of the Earth's crust played a crucial role. The African Plate subducts under the Eurasian Plate beneath Gibraltar and the weight of the subducting edge of the African Plate may have pulled the entire region downwards. Govers submits CT scans of the inner layers of the Earth's crust and measurements of gravitational forces as evidence: both the scans and the measurements indicate the presence of a heavy mass up to 400 kilometres beneath the area.
(Excerpt) Read more at sciencedaily.com ...
Global Warming started five million years ago in anticipation of the Industrial Revolution, I guess. :)
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Can we please seal off Washington DC so it will dry up and die.
The earliest known incident of “global warming?”
So did Helen Thomas.
I saw the heading on the post and wondered when Helen Thomas changed her name from Mediterranean Sea.
Also a fantasy set by Randall Garrett and somebody else - The Gandalara Cycle - pretty entertaining IIRC.
That must have been some dry hole. The Mediterranean Sea averages about 5,000’ deep with a max depth of 16,000’
And check out the good artwork on the cover!
...and hot babes with weapons.
The Firvulag survived, and some of them are in Congress now... /g
I always figured that Nancy was a castrating bitch...this just goes to show she's got that second set of teeth that's ideal for the job.
She's probably got visions of grey torcs for all of us too.
I can name several suspects off the top of my head -- How about Henry Waxman, Barbara Mikulski, Harry Reid, Jerry Nadler? I'm sure the list could be quite long.
I would have paid a bundle to have a front row seat on the Rock of Gibralter to see the Atlantic rushing back to fill the Mediterranean! Assuming, that is, that there was a "moment" when the flow really got going. I don't suppose there is any way to know how long it took.
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