How did the Messinian Salinity Crisis end? |
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| Authors: | Nicolas Loget Jean Van Den Driessche Philippe Davy |
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| Institution: | Géosciences Rennes, Universitéde Rennes 1, UMR 6118, Campus de Beaulieu, 35042 Rennes cedex, France |
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| Abstract: | The cause of the desiccation of the Mediterranean Sea during the Messinian Salinity Crisis has been widely debated, but its re-flooding remains poorly investigated. Interpretations generally involve tectonic collapse of the Strait of Gibraltar or global sea-level rise, or even a combination of both. The dramatic sea-level fall in the Mediterranean has induced deep fluvial incision all around the desiccated basin. We investigate erosion dynamics related to this base level drop by using the numerical simulator EROS. We show that intense regressive erosion develops inevitably in the Gibraltar area eventually inducing the piracy of the Atlantic waters by an eastward-flowing stream and the subsequent re-flooding of the Mediterranean. |
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