Cekricek.id – A giant underwater canyon about 6 million years old has been discovered in the eastern Mediterranean Sea by scientists. This U-shaped canyon is thought to have formed just before the sea dried up and turned into a mile-high salt pan during the Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC).
This canyon, named the Eratosthenes Gorge, forms a majestic U-shaped pattern and is located about 75 miles south of Cyprus, in the depths of the Mediterranean Levant Basin. With a depth of up to 1,640 feet (500 meters) and a width of up to 33,000 feet (10 km), the canyon is a shining testament to the dramatic changes in the seabed.
Research published in journals Global and Planetary Change January issue revealed that this canyon may have formed through the incision of dense gravitational currents that etched and formed this extraordinary pattern.
This process, according to the researchers, probably occurred around 5.6 to 6 million years ago, in line with the start of the Messinian salinity crisis.
The Eratosthenes Canyon forms part of a wider network of canyons and channels in the Levant Basin region, stretching from the coast of Syria in the north to Gaza in the south, and northwest towards Cyprus.
The significance of this discovery is that these canyons lack older “pre-salt” roots, supporting the argument that some of the erosion on continental margins occurred underwater.
Although there is a much deeper and older Herodotus basin to the northwest of the canyon, researchers suggest that Eratosthenes Canyon may have formed through currents that rapidly scooped up the sea floor, forming a majestic, older rootless canyon.
The findings shed new light on the decades-old debate over the origins of Messinian gullies and canyons, confirming that some of the erosion at the continental margin occurred below sea level.
This discovery not only enriches our understanding of the geological history of the Mediterranean, but also opens the door to further research into these amazing underwater formations.
The existence of the magnificent Eratosthenes Canyon is a silent witness to the dramatic changes that have occurred on the bottom of the Mediterranean sea over millions of years.
Also read: The Santorini Undersea Volcano Eruption 520,000 Years Ago Was More Powerful Than the Tonga Eruption
Thus, this discovery is not only a remarkable scientific achievement, but also shows that unrevealed natural wonders continue to await in the depths of our oceans.
An achievement that is not only captivating for scientists, but also for all of us who want to explore the mysteries of the earth hidden beneath the surface of the sea.
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2024-02-09 07:14:15
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