Messinian Event

Source-This post on Messinian Event has been created based on the article “Israeli scientists find new underwater canyon near Cyprus” published in “THE TIMES OF INDIA” on 5 February 2024.

Why in the news?

The Geological Institute of Israel recently uncovered an underwater canyon near Cyprus that dates back to the Messinian Event.

About Messinian Event

1) It is also known as the Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC)

2) It was a geological event during which the Mediterranean Sea went into a cycle of partial or nearly complete desiccation (drying up). It was one of the most severe ecological crises in the Earth’s history.

3) The MSC began approximately 6 million years ago (MYA) and lasted until around 5.3 MYA.

Countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea

There are 22 countries and one territory (Gibraltar – a British Overseas Territory)whose coasts are on the Mediterranean Sea

1) The European Countries- Spain, France, Italy, Malta, Monaco, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, and Greece.

2) The West Asian (Middle Eastern) countries- Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, the Palestine Gaza Strip and the divided island of Cyprus.

3) Five North African countries– Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt.

NOTE- Deep-sea Canyon– They are steep-sided valleys cut into the seafloor of the continental slope. They may sometimes extend well onto the continental shelf.
The deepest canyon on Earth is actually on the ocean floor. The Mariana Trench is the deepest feature on Earth.

UPSC Syllabus-Geography in news.