Chapter 2 - Mediterranean Sea evolution and present-day physiography
Abstract
This chapter describes the tectonic processes at the origin of the Mediterranean Sea and a particular paleo-environmental event (the Messinian salinity crisis) that resulted in the almost complete desiccation of the Mediterranean Sea. It also presents the morphological characteristics of the basin floor and introduces the tectonic and climatic processes that control sedimentation and thus the evolution of the seafloor.