Proper noun
Messinian salinity crisis
(geology) A geological event, characterised by the partial desiccation of the Mediterranean basin, which occurred throughout the latter part of the Messinian age of the Miocene epoch, from 5.96 to 5.33 million years ago, and finally ended with the Zanclean flood.
Synonyms: Messinian event, MSC
Messinian salinity crisis During Mesozoic and Cenozoic times, as the northwest corner of Africa converged on Iberia, it lifted the Betic-Rif mountain belts across southern Iberia and northwest Africa. Source: Internet
The time of beginning of the MSC was recently estimated astronomically at 5.96 mya, and it persisted for some 630,000 years until about 5.3 mya; citation see Animation: Messinian salinity crisis, at right. Source: Internet
The Messinian salinity crisis started about six million years ago (mya) when the Mediterranean became landlocked, and then essentially dried up. Source: Internet