Proper noun
Zanclean flood
(geology) A theorised flood, 5.33 million years ago, of the Mediterranean basin, then dry due to the Messinian salinity crisis, triggered by its reconnection with the Atlantic Ocean, that marks the transition from the Miocene epoch (Messinian age) to the Pliocene epoch (Zanclean age).
Synonyms: Zanclean deluge, terminal Messinian flood