I also believe that the Mediterranean was blocked at Gilbralter in probably a couple different place within the sea itself. I believe the Mediterrean was severely dessicated during the Ice Age and it was only until the 7-8k melt that the 'plug' at Gilbralter was breached with sea water streaming in and doing a cascade breach of the internal 'dams' , finalizing with the salt water breach into the Black Sea 7-8k years ago.
The Mediterranean completely dried out a number of times because there are salt deposits on the bottom that are 1-2 miles thick. The last time it completely dried out was 5 million years ago.
I meant to ping you to my post #96 also.
Nice pic of the modern straits:
http://www.ersdac.or.jp/todayData/02.8/1.jpg
http://www.answers.com/topic/atlantic-ocean
A shallow submarine ridge across the Strait of Gibraltar separates the Mediterranean basin from the Atlantic and limits the exchange of water between the two bodies.
http://sealevel.jpl.nasa.gov/education/cool-facts.html
Seven million years ago, when geological forces lifted the Straits of Gibraltar and blocked the flow of Atlantic Ocean water into the Mediterranean, the Mediterranean Basin was completely dry! And in some places its bed lies 4,000 meters (13,000 feet) below sea level. When the Straits of Gibraltar dropped to today's level, what may have been the Earth's grandest waterfall may have run for 1,000 years, until the sea was full.
[also sez: "Ten meters (33 feet) of ocean depth has the same mass as the whole atmospher; 2.5 meters (8 feet) of ocean depth holds as much heat as the whole atmosphere; 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) of the ocean depth has as much water as the whole atmosphere."]
