Mediterranean Sea at risk of vanishing again in its history
Could the Mediterranean vanish forever (photo: Getty Images)
The Mediterranean Sea, like all the beautiful things on Earth, cannot exist forever. Two tectonic plates are positioned in such a way that the entire beauty of this sea could eventually be erased from the face of the Earth in the distant future, according to IFLScience.
According to scientists, the continents of our planet are constantly changing, although very slowly. The Earth's crust is divided into tectonic plates that move over the semi-liquid upper mantle, leading to the gradual rearrangement of the continents and the formation of various geological features over eons.
The current arrangement of continents on Earth — Africa, Eurasia, and the Americas — is only temporary. Due to the movement of tectonic plates, the continents' configurations have changed drastically in the past and will continue to evolve in the future.
The primary threat to the Mediterranean Sea is the gradual collision between the African (Nubian) and Eurasian plates. About 100 million years ago, these two plates began to move closer together, gradually closing the oceanic basins between them. The Alps mountain range in Europe is itself a result of this collision.
Geological changes occur very slowly; sometimes, these changes take millions of years to become noticeable. The current rate of movement is measured in millimeters. Eventually, the Mediterranean Sea could become trapped between the two plates at the center of a new supercontinent forming.
As various studies have indicated, Europe will slide beneath the African plate, and the sea will cease to exist.
However, this is just one possible projection of how Earth's tectonic plates may shift. Predicting the configuration of future supercontinents is difficult due to the complex and dynamic nature of plate tectonics, as well as the immense timeframes involved.
History has shown that the Mediterranean Sea is in a very precarious position. About 6 million years ago, an event known as the Messinian Salinity Crisis occurred, during which the Mediterranean Sea transformed into a vast salty basin for about half a million years.
The rise in sea level blocked the flow of the Atlantic Ocean into the Mediterranean through the Strait of Gibraltar, cutting off its vital water supply.
The Mediterranean region was particularly vulnerable to these changes, as it is located in a relatively warm and dry part of the planet, causing the seawater to evaporate very quickly.
The good news is that the Mediterranean Sea is unlikely to disappear for many millions of years, so there is no need to rush when booking your next vacation.
