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Ancient Red Sea Transformation Reveals Underwater Canyon Secrets

10/2/2025

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Summary

Story summary

Around 6.2 million years ago, the Red Sea dried into a salt desert before rapid flooding by the Indian Ocean.
This event carved a 320-kilometer-long underwater canyon and restored marine life.
Seismic imaging, drill cores, and isotopic analysis confirmed the basin's shift from barren landscape to a thriving sea.
The findings link the event to the Mediterranean's Messinian Salinity Crisis.

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Story summary

Around 6.2 million years ago, the Red Sea dried into a salt desert before rapid flooding by the Indian Ocean.
This event carved a 320-kilometer-long underwater canyon and restored marine life.
Seismic imaging, drill cores, and isotopic analysis confirmed the basin's shift from barren landscape to a thriving sea.
The findings link the event to the Mediterranean's Messinian Salinity Crisis.