New studies in early 2025 provide compelling evidence supporting the Zanclean megaflood, a cataclysmic event that refilled the Mediterranean Sea approximately 5.33 million years ago. This flood ended the Messinian Salinity Crisis, a period when the Mediterranean basin became isolated and largely evaporated, leaving behind vast salt deposits.
The research highlights geological features around South East Sicily, including streamlined ridges and erosional channels, which indicate a massive and rapid influx of water. Scientists estimate the flood's discharge reached 68 to 100 Sverdrups (millions of cubic meters per second), dwarfing any other known flood in Earth's history.
The Zanclean megaflood dramatically reshaped the geography and ecology of the Mediterranean. The speed of the water, reaching up to 32 meters per second, carved deep channels and transported vast amounts of sediment. This event serves as a reminder of the Earth's capacity for sudden and dramatic transformations, with lasting impacts on regional biodiversity and geological formations.