The Messinian Salinity Crisis

Global Climate Model
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Global Climate Model

When Scientists need to understand what is going on in the atmosphere, they use a Global Climate Model(GCM).

This model helps us see patterns and make observations by looking at what happened in the past to make guesses

about the future. 


For the Messinian Salinity Crisis, a Global Climate Model was used to show how the Temperature and Pressure

changed as the water in the Mediterranean Sea started to evaporate.  As the water level got lower and lower, the

pressure inside the Mediterranean Basin increased.  An increase in pressure causes an increase in Temperature. 

As the pressure increased temperatures rose until the Mediterranean became hot and dry like a desert. 
 

The GCM for the Messinian Salinity Crisis showed scientists how much things changed in that area because of

this huge change in climate.